Intro to Odonata

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Intro to Odonata
5,500 spp. world 650 NA

• Dragonflies and damselflies
• Online key
• http//insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/michodo/test/Hom
  e.htm

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Adults near freshwater

• Larvae in many freshwater habitats
• Few brackish
• Larvae are predators - capture prey with long,
  hinged labium

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Mating - in flight, or perched

• Oviposition in tandem, or female alone
• Species where males remain attached more likely
  to get fertilization sperm storage
• Eggs fertilized during oviposition

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Oviposition

• Some insert eggs into plant tissue
• Some drop eggs into water
• Some submerge

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Incomplete metamorphosis(egg nymph adult)

• 10 - 15 instars
• Wing pads appear after 6-7 molts
• Larval stage - few weeks to 5 years

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Some univoltine seasonal emergence at one time

• Some emerge through entire season
• Temporary pond species emerge quickly
• Some tropical species use tree holes or bromeliad
  pools

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Larvae are generalized carnivores

• Early instars feed on protozoa
• Feeding sequence
• Detection
• Eject labium
• Mandibles consume prey

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Labium extended

• Grabs and holds prey - quickly
• Hooks, spines

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Many odonate larvae are sit-and-wait-predators

• Conceal themselves by burrowing, climbing on
  vegetation, etc.

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Larval morphology

• Zygoptera damselflies
• More slender, head wider than thorax, 3 long
  tracheal gills at abdomen tip
• Anisoptera dragonflies
• Stout, head narrower than thorax, 5 short, stiff
  appendages at abdomen end

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Head

• Labium lower lip
• Antennae 6-7 segments

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Thorax

• Prothorax freely movable

tibia
tarsus
femur
wingpads
thorax
Lateral gill
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Abdomen

• Zygoptera - epiproct and paraprocts form three
  gills

tibia
tarsus
femur
wingpads
thorax
Lateral gill
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Abdomen

• Anisoptera - epiproct and paraprocts are dorsal
  to two cerci

epiproct
paraproct
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Adults

• Compound eyes, short antennae
• Three ocelli

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Adult wings

• Anisoptera - held horizontally at rest
• Zygoptera - wings above body at rest

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Zygoptera 3 families

• Calopterygidae
• Lestidae
• Coenagrionidae

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Zygoptera families

• Calopterygidae
• 1st antennal segment long
• Prementum with deep median cleft

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Lestidae

• Short antennae
• Prementum stalked, spoon-shaped

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Lestidae
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Coenagrionidae

• Short antennae
• Basal half of prementum not narrowed

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Anisoptera familiesGomphidae

• Prementum and palpal lobes of labium flat
• No dorsal setae
• Antennae 4-segmented

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Gomphidae
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Petularidae

• Prementum and palpal lobes of labium flat
• Antennae 6- and 7-segmented
• Short, thick hairy antennae

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Aeshnidae

• Prementum and palpal lobes of labium flat
• Antennae 6- and 7-segmented
• Antennal segments short, bristle-like

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Aeshnidae
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Cordulegastridae

• Prementum and palpal lobes spoon-shaped
• Distal edge of lateral lobe with irregular teeth

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Corduliidae

• Prementum and palpal lobes spoon-shaped
• Distal edge of lateral lobe w/o irregular teeth
• Thick frontal horn, long metafemur

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Corduliidae
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Libellulidae

• Prementum and palpal lobes spoon-shaped
• Distal edge of lateral lobe w/o irregular teeth
• Shallow crenulations on lateral lobe of labium

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Libellulidae