You can try netting them from the air, but you may find you have better luck waiting for them to land. The net portion should be a fine mesh that is transparent enough for you to see inside the net. The net portion should be long enough that it flops over the net frame so that it effectively closes itself off, preventing whatever you have netted from flying out.
That way you can reach in and grab the dragonfly by its wings. Let it Go Unharmed Once you have it in hand, you can examine the dragonfly closely, noting its features and coloration in order to help determine the species to which it belongs.
In some cases, however, a microscopic examination to differentiate between closley related species may be required. Once you have finished, it should be released. Adult dragonflies do not make good pets because of their dietary habits and their high-speed flying. Note: This article was originally published at Yahoo!
Contributor Network on August 15th, , where it was viewed times. In the larval stage, which is spent underwater, they are preyed on by fish, frogs, toads and newts, other water invertebrates — and Kingfishers see photo below. Their defences include their excellent eyesight and flying skills which can help them to evade capture. Some are coloured black and yellow, or black and red, which is the universal warning colouration and may deter some of the bird predators. There are many legends and myths about dragonflies and damselflies from all parts of the world.
Many are evident from their common nicknames. This name may come from the way a captured dragonfly curls its abdomen as if in an attempt to sting. Another possible explanation of this name is that the big Aeshnids etc.
Here they were actually feeding on the flies attracted to the horses. People seeing it made the inference that it was the dragon, being big and obvious, stinging, rather than an unseen fly biting.
Naturally there is no truth in either myth Similar myths are found throughout the world. You can find more about them by visiting Cultural Odonatology References , a site which has reference material relating to myths, legends, folklore and cultural significance of Odonata throughout the world.
For more myths, and mythical names used in Europe you could visit Swedish Dragonflies where you will find a page of such items. Both these links will open in a new window. Yes, Dragonflies do have a pair of antennae. They are very tiny and difficult to see. If you look at the photo you will just be able to see the antennae between the front of the eye and the front of the face of this Emperor dragonfly.
As dragonflies rely much more on their eyesight than on a sense of touch or smell, they do not need the large antennae found on some beetles and moths. Several species of dragonfly are known to collect in large aggregations or swarms. In most cases this appears to be due to very favourable feeding conditions in the locality.
This is less likely as males are much more aggressive to each other when looking for a mate. The Four-spotted Chaser occasionally collects in these large aggregations before making a mass movement to another locality like a bird migration. The reasons for this are unclear but may be due to population pressures. There are records from the US of migratory assemblages of species such as the Green Darner Anax junius and various species of Saddlebags Tramea.
It is laying eggs. While damselflies and some dragonflies will settle on vegetation and insert eggs into stalks and other material in or near the water, many dragonflies will fly across the water dipping the end of their abdomens into the water and releasing eggs.
These eggs are surrounded by a jelly-like substance which enables the eggs to stick to vegetation or the bottom of the pond. Some species will remain paired while the female does this, while in others the male will fly nearby to guard the female from the attentions of other males.
Dragonflies have extremely good vision, which they use to locate and catch small insects in flight. Like most insects, they have compound eyes. In the case of dragonflies the eyes contain several thousand individual facets, each containing a tiny lens.
Each individual lens has a low resolution but by combining the images from all of them dragonflies can achieve a level of resolution that is better than most other insects and thus their sight is particularly good. They use their amazing sight to catch other insects in flight, in addition to spotting potential mates and predators. Visual acuity varies between species, with migratory dragonflies having the best sight and damselflies with their rather smaller eyes somewhat less, but still very good.
Open the doors and windows and leave it to find its own way out if possible. If it does not find its own way out after leaving the doors and windows open for some time, you could try gently ushering it out with a newspaper..
As a last resort, grasp the base of the wings firmly between your fingers and release it outside quickly. The best advice is to leave it be. If it has only recently emerged it will just be resting to gain strength to start its adult life. If it is cool it may be gathering any sun or other warmth to enable it to fly, as temperature has a significant effect on dragonfly activity levels. It may have just eaten and is digesting its meal, with no need to eat again for a little while.
It uses a lot of energy to fly so it will only do so if there is a purpose — usually to find food or a mate. Even if it is unwell there is not really anything that can be done and it is best left alone. If deemed necessary, move it to a safe location, such as high up on some sheltered plants in a sunny location, by grasping it firmly by the base of its wings. Dragonflies can usually fly with a damaged or even missing wing, unless it has been damaged during emergence from its larval skin.
More than one specimen may be dried at a time, but don't mix dragonflies and damselflies. Fully evacuate the drying chamber for dragonflies, partially evacuate for damselflies experience will tell you when to stop evacuating for different sized specimens.
Use an ample supply of desiccant in this method, phosphorus pentoxide. After about 24 hours, the specimens should be ready longer for large batches. The eyes dry last, so when they turn opaque, the specimens are fully dried. Repressurize the chamber slowly, so the specimens are not damaged by a sudden in-rush of air. If the abdomens of any specimens appear "marred by grease" female aeshnids are susceptible to this , detach the abdomen and soak it in ethyl acetate for a few hours, then let the abdomen dry and reattach it using gum arabic [Note: I am not personally recommending detaching the abdomen - TM].
Drying should begin as soon after death as possible. Kill red, yellow, and black and yellow species using sulphur dioxide made from "equal small parts of powdered potassium metabisulphite and powdered citric acid, in the bottom of a glass tube, covered with a wad of blotting paper kept moist by a few drops of water. This method is notable because it is said to preserve the living color of the eyes, which other methods do not do well.
It requires both a glass vacuum desiccator and a freezer. Concentrated sulphuric acid is the drying agent handle with care. Keep specimens alive long enough to clear their intestines.
Kill them cyanide is recommended and set them on small cork blocks. Immediately cool the specimens to degrees Celsius by placing them in a degree C freezer. Put the blocks with specimens into the desiccator and depressurize to less than 0. After five hours, slowly release the vacuum and remove the specimens, which are ready for storage.
Thus there may be a hour delay between the time I remove the specimen from the killing jar and the time I put it in acetone. To ensure that the preserved specimen will be useful and pleasing to look at, immediately after removing the dragonfly from the killing jar, I lay it out on a paper pad or pinning board and arrange all the parts the way I want them to be in the preserved specimen e. Leaving the pin-braced specimen in position for minutes before taking it up to measure and describe makes it much easier to get it back the way you want it before immersing it in acetone later.
I find it much harder to get a pleasing setting if I don't do a preliminary layout before processing. Of course, if there is only a brief delay between killing and submerging in acetone, this is not so critical. Even then, a brief period of air drying in the desired position might make it more likely that the specimen will stay in the desired position when you submerge it.
Acetone dissolves lipids, so if your specimens might be analyzed for lipid content e. May, Acetone may remove the pruinosity from pruinose dragonflies e. See comments by BM in the previous section. KS, HR, and BM have suggested that acetone may destroy or damage DNA, rendering specimens preserved in acetone unsuitable for molecular biological research KS was the first to raise the issue. However, TC based on work done with his colleague, James Purdue reports:.
No tests have been performed for segments greater than base pairs have been attempted. Specimens treated with formalin present some special problems. The literature contains techniques for dealing with these, but we have not tested them. BM reports that he receives requests from molecular systematists for specimens which have not been preserved in acetone, but that people doing other sorts of taxonomic research want acetone-treated specimens. He suggests that collectors taking a series of specimens set aside a few to be preserved without acetone, and be sure to label them to that effect.
The Internet is also an ideal way for researchers to request freshly collected specimens custom-preserved to meet their needs. In the meantime, preservation in acetone seems inadvisable if you are doing molecular analyses. KS brings her specimens back from the field alive and freezes them until she needs them colors may not be preserved, as mentioned under SD in the previous section.
She also implores collectors to keep accurate records of post-capture treatment of their specimens, so molecular researchers will know what chemicals they have been treated with. This is essential for allozyme analysis. I suggest injection with alcohol for large specimens since the alcohol may not penetrate the body fast enough to avoid spoilage. If none of this is available or if you are interested in samples already in collections, rapid drying will preserve the DNA to a lesser extent.
I recently extracted DNA from a pinned specimen of Apis mellifera that was almost years old. This should only be considered a last-ditch option. Davies, D. Entomologist Dunkle, Sid. Dragonflies of the Florida Peninsula, Bermuda, and the Bahamas. Gainesville, FL: Scientific Publishers. Harris, T. Hatto, Y. Odonatologica 23 3 : Herman, Steven G. Vermillion, SD: Buteo Books. ISBN May, Michael L. Migrating Dragonflies in North America. Moore, B. Needham, James G.
Washington, D. Printing Office. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, no. Westfall, Jr. Berkeley: University of California Press. Pemberton, Robert W. American Entomologist 41 2 : Smithe, Frank B. The Naturalist's Color Guide. Order from Special Publications Dept. Tennessen, Ken. A Collecting Tip for Gomphids.
Voigts, David K. Iowa Acad. Question: Are there any good photographic field guides to North American dragonflies which could be used for identifying distinctive species without the necessity of catching and killing individuals?
Everyone recommends Sid Dunkle's guides to dragonflies and damselflies of Florida. This is more than any other photographic guides I have come across. They are available from the International Odonata Research Center store. It is a useful supplement to Dunkle. In particular, they said that the colors are often not entomologically correct.
Nonetheless, I find this guide useful for general insect identification in conjunction with other field guides and more technical materials. Other general North American insect guides show few odonate species. Sharon J. Alvaro Jaramillo, Vancouver, BC, Canada, for sharing his experiences in and enthusiasm for odonate natural history with me. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Related Articles. Method 1.
Use a long-handled aerial net with a wide opening. Select an aerial net that is 18 inches 46 cm in diameter or larger. Look for one with a nice long handle. If possible, choose a dark-colored net over a light one. Aerial nets also called butterfly nets can be purchased at most sporting goods stores or online. Practice swinging with 1 or both hands.
Before you head out into the field, try to get a feel for your net. Try holding the net with both hands like a baseball bat and swinging it. Try holding the net in just your dominant hand. See which way feels more comfortable for you. Visit a lake, pond, or river. Dragonflies can be found on every continent except Antarctica. These insects enjoy being near water. Some varieties of dragonflies prefer moving water, while others are drawn to standing water.
Visit a place where there is water, preferably where you have seen dragonflies in the past. Position yourself in a concealed location.
Locate your body so that you are obscured by tall grasses, trees, or other natural features.
0コメント