1. Stretching the stream DRAGONFLY BY GAURAV NAVALKAR

2. Name  Common Name : Dragonfly  Scientific Name: Anisoptera  Family : Eg: Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners) eg Blue spotted hawker  Order :Odonata

3. Description  Dragonflies are heavy bodied, strong flying insects that holds the wings horizontally when at rest  An adult dragonfly’s body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen.  The head is large with very short antennae and covered by very large two compound eyes  The mouth has a toothed jaw, a flap-like labrum at the front to catch prey  The thorax has 3 segments; holds two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs  The wings are long, veined and membranous, narrower at the tip, wider at the base  The abdomen is long and slender and has 10 segments  Dragonflies come in varying sizes; they are usually between 1-4 inches in length  Dragonflies come in bright colours – blue, green, red, yellow  Dragonflies are found near wetlands or near water.

4. Life Cycle

5. Life Cycle Egg & Nymph  The female dragonfly lays eggs in batches on moist surfaces, plants submerged under water or in water directly.  Dragonfly eggs are round and about 0.5 mm long  The eggs hatch usually within a week to couple of weeks. The time for hatching depends on the atmospheric temperature and the climatic surroundings.  The eggs hatch into larvae called nymphs which again live in water.  Nymphs have large eyes, 6 legs, - often flat on underside, - no tails. Their size ranges from 1/2" - 1 1/2“  Nymph stage is the longest stage in the life cycle of a dragonfly. This stage usually lasts anywhere from a year up to four years  Dragonfly nymphs are shorter and bulkier, and the gills are located inside the abdomen. They look spider like.  Nymphs shed their skin anywhere from 6 to 15 times during their life cycle

6. Life Cycle Adult Dragonfly  An adult dragonfly has a long body, transparent wings, and large eyes.  It has 6 legs, a thorax, a head, and an abdomen. The abdomen is long and segmented.  Even though the adult dragonfly has 6 legs, it cannot walk properly but is a fast flyer.  Size of an adult dragonfly may range from 1-5 inches  An adult dragonfly is the most colourful insect; colours range from blue, green, red, yellow  The adult stage could be the shortest life-cycle stage ranging from few weeks up to a year

7. Food Chain They eatThey get eaten by GnatsBirds MothsLizards FliesDucks ButterfliesFish

8. Habitat Dragonfly's live near wet lands and water They like to live in warm climates.

9. Adaptive Features  Dragonflies are well known for their speed.  They can move forward at a rate of roughly 100 times their own body length each second, sometimes reaching speeds of around 55 miles per hour.  They're also able to move backward, sideways and diagonally bit slowly.  Their speed and agility mean they can quickly zoom away from and outmanoeuvre any potential predators. It gives them an advantage when hunting for prey, too.

10. Interesting Facts  Many dragonfly species can get up to 7-8 cm long  Dragonflies at nymph stage live in water. This is the longest stage in their life-cycle. The nymphs have gills inside the rear of their abdomen. They obtain oxygen by contracting their abdomen to pump water in and out of the gill chamber.  Fossil Dragonflies have wing spans up to 2 metres and were almost a meter in length  Dragonflies hold their wings horizontally at rest  Dragonflies respire not only through their gills, but also through their wing pads.

11. Bibliography  http://www.dragonfly-site.com/dragonfly-facts.html http://www.dragonfly-site.com/dragonfly-facts.html  http://www.bugfacts.net/dragonfly.php http://www.bugfacts.net/dragonfly.php  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly  http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/dragonfly.htm http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/dragonfly.htm  http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida. html http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida. html  http://animals.pawnation.com/adaptive-characteristics-dragonfly- 8616.html http://animals.pawnation.com/adaptive-characteristics-dragonfly- 8616.html  http://www.ecospark.ca/changingcurrents/dragonfly http://www.ecospark.ca/changingcurrents/dragonfly