Skip to main content

#1: Dragonfly Wings




Litinsects #1: Dragonfly Wings

Ever wondered why dragonflies have this dark cell at the front of their wings? This is called a PTEROSTIGMA. This thickened cell is heavier than the rest of the wing, so scientists believe it helps the insects in gliding by reducing vibrations in the wing. Pterostigmata are found in all dragonflies and damselflies and a few other insect groups.

And now for some FUN FACTS about dragonfly wings:

  • Dragonflies are one of the FIRST groups of winged insects to evolve!
  • The shape and vein patterns of dragonfly wings can be used in species identification
  • Dragonflies can operate their fore and hind wings INDEPENDENTLY (which almost no other insects can do!) This gives them a level of control and agility that makes them amazing aerial hunters
  • The globe skimmer dragonfly makes an annual multigenerational migration of 18,000 km (11,000 mi), the LONGEST of any insect
  • Dragonflies and damselflies are easily distinguished by their wings! Dragonflies always hold their wings HORIZONTALLY at rest, while damselflies fold their wings above their body so that they are perpendicular to the ground

And for my favorite fun fact...

  • Meganeuropsis, an ancient relative of dragonflies, is the LARGEST INSECT to ever live with a wingspan of 75 cm (30 in)

More fascinating facts await you TOMORROW 🐞🦗🦟🐛🐜🦋
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#8: Butterfly Wings

Litinsects #8: Butterfly Wings Have you ever heard that you shouldn’t touch a butterfly’s wings or it will die? Well why is that...? Who remembers what I explained yesterday about Latin names? Butterflies and moths belong to the group LEPIDOPTERA, from the Greek words lepis for scale and pteron for wing. You probably guessed it already: butterfly wings are covered in SCALES! (Anyone starting to see a pattern with the names here? 😉 ) Butterfly scales are actually modified, flattened SETAE (aka hairs) that either partially or entirely cover the wings of most species. Some look like roof tiles, like on this here monarch, while some look more thread-like Scales protect and insulate the insect, but underneath the wing is actually transparent! Some species, like the GLASSWING BUTTERFLY, lack scales and have totally amazing see-through wings! Scales are responsible for the coloration of butterfly wings in one of two ways. First of all, scales contain...
Post a Comment
Read more

#58: Tardigrades

Litinsects #58: Tardigrades Anyone recognize these weird-looking little guys? They are actually not insects, as a matter of fact they are not even arthropods but they are cool enough to deserve a post. These are TARDIGRADES, also known as water bears or moss piglets. They are best known for their bizarre abilities to survive some of the most extreme conditions imaginable... © Science Faction Images -As always, the name’s etymology describes them a bit. It comes from the Latin “tardus” meaning “slow” and “gradior” for “step/walk”. Their common name comes from the fact that their walk looks a bit like a bear’s -Tardigrades are a PHYLUM of animals consisting of around 1,300 species. (Side note: the TAXONOMIC LEVEL of a group has nothing to do with how many species it contains. For example phylum Arthropoda, a taxonomically equivalent category consists of around 1 million described species and possibly millions more not yet described!). -These animals are all microscopic, ranging in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

#60: Cockroaches

Litinsects #60: Cockroaches Cockroaches belong to the order BLATTODEA, which is derived from the Greek word “blatta” meaning cockroach. Did you know that the Blattodea contains cockroaches AND termites? That’s right; termites are actually considered a specialized group of cockroaches! They used to be classified in an entirely different order of insects but recent genetic studies found a closer relation to cockroaches than previously thought. -Roaches are characterized by their broad, flat bodies. They have long antennae and generalized chewing mouthparts. In contrast to many other insects, which have 3, cockroaches have only 2 ocelli (or simple eyes) -Most people consider roaches to be disgusting, disease-spreading pests. But of 4,500 species, only 30 live in human habitats and are considered pests -The common name is derived from the Spanish word for the insect, “cucaracha” -Cockroaches can be found in a wide variety of habitats around the world. Many live in the tropics but...
Post a Comment
Read more