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| Golden-ringed Dragonfly(Cordulegaster boltonii) |
Summer is here, and it's time to start looking for Dragons and Damsels. Dragonflies and Damselflies to be precise, although neither of them are true flies. They form the ancient order of insects called the Odonata.
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| Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) |
There are two ways of telling them apart. Firstly, dragonflies hold their wings away from their bodies at rest, whereas damselflies fold theirs along their backs. Secondly, on closer inspection, dragonfly eyes are placed together, while damselfly eyes are held apart.
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| Dragonlfy exuvium (Anax sp.) |
Their nymphs are aquatic, and when they emerge from the water, their skins split and the adults emerge. The shed skin is called an exuvium (plural exuvia) and they make an interesting subject to collect and study.
The Odonata are covered on pages 16, 17 and 78 of The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies.
Paperback £14.99 |
Paperback £13.99 |
Dragonfly Jewellery from AOBOCO £29.99 |
All the best,
Steve
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