File: <odonata.htm> [For teaching purposes only; do not review, quote or abstract] Terminology <Principal Natural Enemy Groups>

ODONATA

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Dragonflies and damsel flies are very abundant, but most are in tropical and subtropical areas. There more than 6,325 species known as of the year 2000. Most are brightly colored. All are predaceous both as nymphs and adults. The nymphs are almost all aquatic and feed on a wide variety of animals, including tadpoles, small fish and crustaceans. The adults capture their prey while in flight. The smaller species feed on mosquitoes and flies of similar size, while the larger species are able to capture the largest Diptera. Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera constitute most of the prey. Mesothemis simplicicollis Say feeds extensively on adult Tabanidae in Louisiana, and Cacergates leucostica Burm. and others of that genus are effective predators of tsetse fly in Africa. They have been credited with marked reductions in tsetse population densities (Clausen 1940/62). The order is generally very beneficial, except in a few isolated cases such as in Russia where Aeshna cyanea Mull. destroyed about half the honeybee population in some areas. This occurred at the time of extended migrations and is attributed to a lack of the normal food supply. In America, Coryphaeschna ingens Ramb. may at times cause serious losses to beekeepers (Clausen 1940/62).

Lestes temporalis Selys is reported to be harmful to deciduous fruit trees in northern Japan because of its habit of making oviposition incisions in young shoots during July and August. Only trees located near water were injured, however.

Eggs are usually laid in incisions in stems of plants below the water surface, in muck or in rotting logs or they may be placed directly in the water while the females are in flight. There is simple metamorphosis, and the nymphs leave the water when mature.

References: Please refer to <biology.ref.htm>, [Additional references may be found at: MELVYL Library]