Dragonfly

• Status: Safe
• Ponds, canals, and slow rivers of Europe, Africa, and Asia

Numbers

Weight

0,04 oz0.02 to 0.04 oz

Length

3 inmidpoint of the Italian source, 2.6 to 3.3 in; the English source indicates 2.9 to 3.2 in with an average of 3.1. Italian source used as primary by project convention

Lifespan

6 monthsabout 6 months as an adult

Wingspan

4,1 inaverage value

Larval length

1,8 inaquatic larva, described as very aggressive

Mitochondrial genome

16087 base pairsthe longest among those sequenced in dragonflies; human has 16,569

Ten fun facts

1. 01

   that its scientific name combines Greek and Latin words that both mean ruler or commander.

2. 02

   that with a body length reaching up to 3.3 inches, this is the largest dragonfly in most of Europe.

3. 03

   that it eats smaller prey while flying, devouring its catch in midair without ever needing to land.

4. 04

   that its aquatic larvae reach nearly two inches in length and are aggressive enough to alter local pond ecosystems.

5. 05

   that the bright blue abdomen of the male dragonfly can fade to a duller shade during cold weather spells.

6. 06

   that newly emerged dragonflies are pale green with brown markings, acquiring their vivid adult colors only after some time.

7. 07

   that its mitochondrial genome contains 16,087 base pairs, making it the longest sequenced genome among all dragonfly species.

8. 08

   that female dragonflies insert their eggs directly into aquatic plants and always perform this task completely on their own.

9. 09

   that it was first spotted in Denmark in 1994, expanding to Sweden in 2002 and Scotland in 2004.

10. 10

    that while it usually breeds in vegetation-rich freshwater ponds, it can occasionally reproduce in brackish water as well.

The quiz answers

Five questions about this animal. Pick an answer and find out if it is the right one.

Try it yourself

Data from Wikidata (Q527496) and Wikipedia (Emperor dragonfly).