Green Clear Wing Dragonfly Habitat
Common green darners, sometimes referred to as clear wing dragonflies, rely on a variety of habitats during their short lives. The large, brilliantly colored dragonfly stays active far longer than other dragonflies, appearing in April and often seen as late as November. People used to believe that dragonflies could sew a person's lips or ears shut, according to the University of Kentucky. This may explain how the green darner got its name, considering some knitting needles go by the name of darners.
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Description
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The adult green darner grows up to 3 inches in length, sporting transparent wings, a green thorax and a bright blue abdomen. The female's abdomen looks brown or purple. Both sexes feature a bull's-eye pattern on their foreheads. The dragonfly has six legs and two tiny antennae that require close inspection to see. The adult dragonflies also have two pairs of wings, chewing mouth-parts and huge eyes. Like all dragonflies, the insects rely on their large eyes and tiny antennae to hunt while in flight.
Nymphs
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Similar to all dragonflies, green darners spend their nymph stage in still bodies of water. Since the nymphs do not yet sport wings, they hide under the water in thick, weedy locations so they can hunt for prey such as tadpoles and small fish. Nymphs live like this for as long as one summer to a few years, depending on the temperature of the water.
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Metamorphosis
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When the green darner nymph is ready to become an adult, it moves to a different sort of habitat on the surface of the water. The nymph climbs onto an exposed rock or plant and sheds its skin. All of a sudden, the dragonfly's new body sports wings. After drying off, the dragonfly begins flying.
Adults
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As adults, green darners rely on freshwater habitat, including ponds, creeks, wetlands and slow-moving rivers where they hunt for insects. They capture prey, such as mosquitoes, in the air, or they grab insects from the vegetation growing in or near the water.
Reproduction
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Once the green darner becomes an adult, it only lives from a few weeks to a few months. This means the adults need to mate and lay eggs as quickly as possible. Mating involves the male grasping the female behind the head with the end of its abdomen while the female positions her abdomen under the male where the sperm get stored. Mating occurs in mid-air. While the male remains attached to the female, she deposits her newly fertilized eggs on plant stems or rotting wood on the edge of the water. Once the eggs hatch, the nymphs immediately begin hunting on their own for food.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit dragonfly, image by david purday from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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beansie220
Sep 12, 2010
That is not a picture of a Green Darner. Infact, it isn't even a dragonfly. It is a jewelwing damselfly.
