A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera, within the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species are known, most of them tropical, with fewer species found in temperate regions. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes containing nearly 24,000 ommatidia each, two pairs of strong transparent wings often marked with colored patches, and an elongated body that frequently shows brilliant iridescent or metallic coloration. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations worldwide.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) System (Realm) System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Living or Extinct Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceHeavy-bodied, strong-flying insects that hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest 1 Scientific Name Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Wikidata: Dragonfly
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Bangladesh, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Cambodia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Laos, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Myanmar, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Philippines, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Thailand, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Vietnam, found in there.
Sources
1. Dragonfly - Wikipedia
Infobox, taxon name
Anisoptera
Description, Anatomy section
Dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) are heavy-bodied, strong-flying insects that hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest
Lead section
They are used in traditional medicine in Japan and China, and caught for food in Indonesia.
article text (diet), EntityId 309796
They are almost exclusively carnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects ranging from small midges and mosquitoes to butterflies, moths, damselflies, and smaller dragonflies.
View the Source2. World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
3. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ80066, descriptionView the Source Wikidata: Dragonfly
- Wikidata Q80066, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Child Taxon Of: Odonata, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q25375 (Odonata)
- In Biome: Wetlands, Introduction
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