Common Pond Hawk Dragonflyinside and out

Pond Hawk Dragonfly/ picture by M iroslow fials

There are 5,574 recognized species of dragonfly. The Pond Hawk Dragonfly also goes by the

names of green Jacket or Common Pond Hawk. These are probably one of the most easily

found and observed of all the dragonflies in Northwest Missouri. I come across them quite

frequently, and I am always excited to see them, you can find them near pound, rivers, lake,

and park areas, They are primarily a species of the Eastern United states, and southern Ontario

Research by: Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

How Long do Dragonflies Live?

• The Common Pond Hawk Dragonfly is an insect that has inhabited the earth for almost 300 million years to be exact. There are more than 5000 species of dragonflies that exist today. There are many people who believe that these insects live only for a day. This however is not true. At the shortest the life cycle of a dragonfly from egg to the death of the adult is about six months. There are even dragonflies that live for several years as aquatic larvae before they emerge and live for a few months as adults. Most dragonflies don't die of old age but are caught by predators. Even if they do survive, they still don't live much longer than a few months.A surprising and interesting fact about the dragonfly is that, they will spend only a very short part of their life span as actual adult dragonflies. They will live as nymphs for up to four years, molting their skin between 8 to 17 times depending on the species, and finally when they mature into adults, they can only live for a few months.

• Research by: Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.• See more at: http://www.dragonfly-site.com/how-long-dragonflies-live.html#sthash.rfMrsjbv.dpuf

Male and Female Dragonfly

• The proof is in the picture, see the difference

The Baby Dragonfly is called a Nymph

• Graphics by : Stephen B. Bambara

A closer look at the real thing

Dragonflies possess six legs (like any other insect), but most of them cannot walk well. Dragonflies are among the fastest flying insects in the world. Dragonflies can fly backwards , upside down, and change direction in mid-air and hover for up to one minute. Wow cool.

Photo by: Jim Kalish

Pond Hawk Dragonfly place in the animal kingdom are insects/species, becauseCommon Pond Hawk Dragonfly are invertebrates with bodies divided into three parts;

they have three pairs of legs, and two pairs of wings and antennas.

• Kingdom – Animalia ( Animals)• Phylum – Arthropoda ( Arthropods)• Subphylum- Hexapoda (Hexopads)• Class – Insecta – ( Insects)• Order – Odonata ( Dragonflies)• Suborder – Anisaptera (Dragonflies)• Family – Family Libellulidae

(Skimmers)• Genus – Erythemis (Pondhawk)• Species – species simplicicollis

(pondhawk)

Findings According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the

West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

• Animals are divided into smaller or smaller groups. Lets look where dragonfly fit in the animal kingdom from top to bottom each category has fewer species and the group of animals with in each category are increasingly similar

Pond Hawk Dragonfly Relationship to Humans:Pond Hawk dragonflies are a great help to people. Besides being beautiful to look at, they eat huge amounts of insects, such as

mosquitos and flies.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

• Kingdom- Animal• Phylum- arthropod• Class – insect• Order – diptera• Family – muscidea• Genus – musca• Species – domesticaFindings According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies

and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

• Using the Pond Hawk Dragonfly as an Example notice the genus and species is the official scientific name of the animal. This name is valid in any country of the world and is an important way to avoid confusion. This two Latin name system was developed in 1758, and has hardly changed since then. There are some important things to know about it such as.

"

SCIENTIFIC NAMES ARE ALWAYS TWO WORDS. THE FIRST PART OF THE NAME (GENUS) IS ALWAYS CAPITALIZED. THIS LETS US KNOW THAT IT IS THE GENES. THE SECOND NAME IS ALWAYS IN LOWER CASE AND IS USUALLY DESCRIPTIVE OF THE INSECT IN SOME MANNER. BECAUSE THESE WORDS ARE IN LATIN THEY ARE ALWAYS ITALICIZED OR UNDERLINED.

PHOTO BY: TROY BARTLETT , RESEARCH ACCORDING TO PAULSON, DENNIS R. (2009). DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF THE WEST. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

Dragon = musca fly = domestica

Dragonfly

List of Interesting scientific names for theCommon Pond Hawk Dragonfly.

E rythemis Simplicicollis

• Aeshnidae • Aeshna Cyanea

• Libellulidae

• Gomphidae

• Lestes Sponsa

• Anax imperator

• Pyrrhosoma nymphula Research According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

•Enallagma Cyathiqerum

names.Pond Hawk also have common names

Common names, differ between geographical regionsDo you know what a “water witch” is? Do you know what a “ goodess horse” is?

Do you know what a “Devil needle” is?

Do you know what a “Southern Hawker” is?

Do you know what a “Brown Hawker” is?

Do you know what a “Common Blue Damselfly” is ?

Do you know what a “Emerald Damselfly” is?

Do you know what a “Skeeter Hawk” is?

.

Water witch Goodess horse Devil needle

Southern Hawker Brown Hawker Blue Damsefly

Emerald Damselfly Willow or Green Emerald Damselfly Skeeter Hawk

Photos by : Bart Drees

External Anatomy

• Adult Pond Hawk Dragonfly are known for having three major body regions, six legs, one pair of antennae, and two pair of wings.

head thorax abdomen

• Paulson 2009 insect poster

Adult Pond Hawk Dragonfly develop as a composite of fused segments with specific body part associations.

• Paulson 2009 insect poster

Paulson 2009 insect poster drawing , and Research According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Naturalscience.org

See the two compound eyes and all the lenses within them

• Photo by: University of Minnesota

Antennae are used by insects as major sensory devices, especially for smell, and can be adaptive for the insect in many ways.

Antennae are used by Pond Hawk Dragonfly as a major sensory devices, especially for smell, and can be adaptive for the insect in many ways. Pond Hawk dragonfly don’t have noses like human and other mammal do so they smell and breath through their antennae. Can you say weird?

Paulson 2009 insect poster drawing, and Research According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Naturalscience.org

Two Examples of the Pond Hawk Dragonfly Two Examples of the Pond Hawk Dragonfly MouthpartsMouthparts

.

The Pond Hawk Dragonfly mouthparts are also highly modified for eating insect. They use them for chewing, or biting, or sucking, which are a few examples. Mouthparts of an immature nymph differ from those of the same in its adult stage.

Paulson 2009 insect poster drawings

Dragonfly nymph in the earliest stages have chewing mouthparts. Adult dragonfly have mouth parts mostly used for piercing and sucking, and for the male Pond Hawk

Dragonfly its also used for combat with other male dragonfly.

Dragonfly nymph is biting and eating a tadpole in picture below

Dragonfly is using the sucking motion on his prey by sucking his blood out of his body .

• Pond Hawk Dragonfly have tube-like mouth to suck blood or plants juice. They also have biting mouth, Dragonflies, Orthopteroid ... have large mandibles which they are used solely in combat with other males

• photos by: J.K. Lindsey

Adult Pond Hawk dragonfly have large mandibles which they are used solely in combat with other males

• But in order for nymph to catch prey ,the nymph of a Pound Hawk dragonfly have a mouthpart, called a labium which is folded under the head, then when the nymph approaches its prey the labium swings forward and grab it.

The three techniques Pond Hawk Dragonfly use when hunting, and catching prey

• Motion camouflage is a dynamic type of camouflage by which an attacker can approach a target while appearing to remain stationary from the perspective of the target. The attacker chooses its flight path so as to remain on the line between the target and some landmark point. It therefore stays near the landmark point from the target's perspective. The only visible evidence that the attacker is moving is its looming, the change in size as the attacker approaches. First discovered in Pond Hawk Dragonfly.

.Research According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Naturalscience.org

The Pond Hawk middle body region is called a Thorax

Paulson 2009 insect poster drawing

Pond Hawk legs usages

Like the mouthparts and antennae, Pond Hawk Dragonfly legs are quite variable in form and function and reflect their lifestyle.

Paulson 2009 insect poster drawing

The Pond Hawk Dragonfly abdominal region help him to achieve acrobatically stunts

Pond Hawk Dragonfly mate through their abdomen.The picture on the bottom left, looks as if they have made a heart shape

• Mating takes place near water, Pond Hawk Dragonflies are unique in that the male has two sets of sexual organs. It isn’t known why they have evolved this way, but the “primary organ” is on the ninth segment of the abdomen and the “secondary organ” is located on the ventral side of the second segment. In mating, a male first grabs a female by her pro-thorax or the back of her head with his two claspers and holds on. Just before copulation he curls his body so he can transfer a packet of sperm directly from the primary organ to the secondary. The female in turn curls her body around until her sexual organs come in contact with the male’s secondary organs. This forms a shape that’s unique in the insect world and referred to as the “wheel position,” but it really looks more heart-shaped than round.

Research According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Naturalscience.org

• Researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

• Exoskeleton x- sec• Research According to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of

the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

The discarded exoskeleton (exuvia) of a Pond Hawk Dragonfly nymph

• Photos by: Bart Drees

Inside the Pond Hawk Dragonfly you will find their system for respiration, circulation, nerves, and digestion, but their system has little resemblance to human or other mammals.

Paulson 2009 poster drawing and researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

Pond Hawk Dragonfly Internal Anatomy

Digestive system

• The digestive system is a tube that opens at the mouth and empties at the tail end of the Dragonfly. It is divided into three parts called the foregut, midgut, and hind gut. In Dragonfly, the foregut acts as a crop to carry, or hold liquids which can be regurgitated later.

• Paulson 2009 poster drawings , and researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

Circulatory System

• The circulatory system is not composed of a central heart, veins and arteries which circulate blood cells and transport oxygen. The dragonfly circulatory system is a simple tube down the back which is open at both ends and slowly pulses body fluids and nutrients from the rear of the dragonfly to the head.

• Paulson 2009 poster drawings , and researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

Pond hawk Dragonfly have a less centralized nervous system than humans. The nerve chords run along the ventral or bottom aspect of on dragonfly.

The brain is divided into two main parts. The largest lobes control important areas such as the eyes, antennae, and mouth parts. Other major

concentrations of nerve bundles called ganglia occur along the nerve chord and usually control those body functions, closest to it .

Nervous System

• Paulson 2009 poster drawings , and researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

The Pond Hawk Dragonfly respiratory system, is composed of air sacs and tubes called tracheal. Air enters the tubes through a series of openings called spiracles

found along the sides of the dragonfly body. Like in this drawing by Paulson below: The largest spiracles are usually found on the thorax where greater

musculature from wings and legs require more oxygen. There are no spiracles on the head.

Paulson 2009 poster drawings , and researched according toPaulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

• Paulson 2009 poster drawings , researched by: Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4.

Respiratory System

Pond Hawk Dragonfly Life Cycleis known as Metamorphosis.

• The Pond Hawk Dragonfly has a diverse order of three life cycles. These life cycles are called metamorphosis, because of the changes of shape that the insects undergo during development.

The Nymphs resemble adults, but without wing, or size, or without metamorphosis

Paulson 2009 poster drawings , and researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4

Complete Metamorphosis

• This second example is complete metamorphosis which is found among aquatic insect such as the Pond hawk Dragonfly. This version of the metamorphosis is animated, but the next slide show a real life metamorphosis.

Paulson 2009 poster drawings , and researched according to Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4

Real - Life cycle metamorphosis / photos by: J.K. Lindsey

• Pond Hawk Dragonfly have been on earth for many of years, fossils of very large Pond Hawk Dragonfly ancestors were found in this Protodonata and are back from 325 million years ago, in the upper carboniferous rocks; These pond Hawk Dragonfly had wing span of up to 750 mm. There are about 3000 species of Anisoptera in the world today. Most are tropical, with fewer species in the temperate regions .

• photo by: Vkormfuthed , researched by: Paulson, Dennis R. (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University

Press. ISBN 0-691-12281-4