An insect of the ‘Odonata’ order is a dragonfly. The word “dragonfly” comes from the Greek words “anisoptera,” which means “wing,” and “v anisos,” which means “unequal” or “unlike,” because the hindwing is wider than the forewing. The primary distinction between them is that dragonflies have four wings whereas flies only have two. Damselflies and dragonflies can occasionally be confused.
There are about 3,000 identified genuine dragonfly species. Fewer species live in temperate climates, while the majority are tropical. Worldwide populations of dragonflies are at danger due to habitat loss in wetlands. Many dragonflies have vivid structurally created iridescent or metallic colors that make them stand out in flight. The compound eyes of an adult dragonfly have about 24,000 ommatidia each.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly
They have body similarity with closely related damselflies, which are part of the other infraorder odonatan but typically a lighter build than dragonflies, can be confused with them. However, while both having their wings at rest along and above the abdomen in folded form, damselflies hold theirs flat and away from the body. Damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight while dragonflies fly with greater agility.
Habitat
Dragonfly nymphs are aquatic that can be found in streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. They live in slow-moving or still water areas. They are likely to be found under rocks and wood. Except for Antarctica, every continent is home to dragonflies.
Morphology
As with all insects, an adult dragonfly has three separate segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen. Its stiff plates and flexible membranes form a chitinous exoskeleton. The antennae are very short and the head is huge. The two compound eyes, which take up the majority of its surface, are its dominant feature. Ommatidia, which make up the compound eyes, are more numerous in larger species.
As with many insects, the thorax is divided into three halves. Little and dorsally flattened into a shield-like disc with two transverse ridges, the prothorax is a small animal. Inside the mesothorax and metathorax, the powerful wing muscles have a strong attachment point thanks to the metathorax and mesothorax fusion into a hard, box-like structure having internal bracing. Two sets of wings and three sets of legs are located on the thorax.
There are ten segments to the long, lean abdomen. On segment 10, there are three terminal appendages: two superiors (claspers) and one inferior. The bottom of the next segment contains a cleft that forms the secondary genitalia within males, which include the lamina, genital lobe, penis and hamule.
Life Cycle
The nymphal stage of a dragonfly is aquatic, whereas the adult stage is terrestrial. Using specialized appendages that are unique to his own species of dragonfly, the mature male holds the female during mating. The adult stage of a dragonfly only lasts a few weeks, but the entire life cycle can take up to several years.
Keeping as Pet
dragonfly nymphs should be kept apart in aquaria or tiny jars of spring water. Since the nymphs must crawl out of the water to emerge as adults, add some aquatic plants or sticks that protrude above the surface of the water. At 10 to 31° C (51 to 87° F), the nymphs maintain their consistency.
Species Number
There are currently 7,000 species of real dragonflies, which together with the closely related damselflies make up the 325 million year old order Odonata.
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