Odonates---An Introduction
Odonates — an Introduction: ‘Odonates’ is a collective term for the dragonflies and damselflies – those small, slender, four winged creatures seen hovering above the grasses and water bodies, sometimes perching among the vegetation and at times in long flights above the ground. Most people get attracted to these by their super-fast flights, especially those of the dragonflies. The term ‘Odonate’ has been derived from the Order of these insects, which is Odonata. The Order Odonata consists of three suborders – Anisoptera (Dragonflies), Zygoptera (Damselflies) and Anisozygoptera (Relict Dragonflies). Of these, Anisozygoptera or the Relict Dragonflies are the rarest. Above: A simulated image of the Meganeura. ©National Geographic Society. The dragonflies’ ancestors were probably the Meganeura , of the Order Meganisoptera. In a simple way, we can describe it as a larger version of the modern dragonflies. They evolved about 250 m...