Dragonflies are amazing. Team members at Everything Dinosaur are lucky enough to spot the occasional dragonfly as they whizz around hunting and looking for mates. These ancient insects embody grace and agility. They are little changed from their Carboniferous antecedents. Stunning dragonfly fossils have provided palaeontologists with information on dragonfly evolution. Their fossils and living forms evoke a sense of wonder.

Occasionally, these beautiful insects alight and if we are quick, we can take a photograph. For example, we were able to take a photograph of a pair of dragonflies mating.

Dragonflies mating. These are likely to be Common Darter dragonflies.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a pair of Common Darter dragonflies (Sympetrum striolatum) – we think.  The female has curled the tip of her abdomen to connect with the male’s genitalia. This is referred to as the “wheel position”.  The two insects are resting on a limestone block.  The limestone is probably younger in age than the first, ancestral forms of flying insects that gave rise to the Order Odonata.  The Odonata comprises the dragonflies and their often smaller relatives damselflies. An easy way to differentiate between the two is that damselflies usually fold their wings when at rest.

Marvelling at Dragonfly Evolution

Some ancient forms were gigantic.  Wingspans in excess of sixty centimetres have been recorded in some genera.  It is thought that the during the Carboniferous, the absence of vertebrate aerial predators combined with high levels of atmospheric oxygen permitted early dragonflies to evolve into much larger forms than found in the Mesozoic and today.

To read: High Oxygen Levels and Super-sized Dragonflies.

In many cultures, dragonflies are viewed as a symbol of change and transformation.  This reflects their life cycle from aquatic nymphs to airborne aeronauts.  We find this ironic, as they have not changed greatly since their Carboniferous origins. Their presence often indicates a healthy ecosystem.  We are just happy to marvel at their beauty and grace.

Perhaps this female dragonfly will lay her eggs in our office pond.  Thus, we will have an opportunity to view the next generation of an amazingly beautiful creature that has endured through the ages.

Let’s hope so.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Toys.