Knowra Odonata Odonata Odonata is an order of predatory insects comprising dragonflies and damselflies. Its members have aquatic juveniles and adults with two pairs of strong, membranous wings.
Dragonfly : A large-bodied odonate that usually rests with its wings spread and holds them horizontally or downward. Dragonflies form one of Odonata’s two major living suborders.
Insect wing : A membranous outgrowth of an insect’s thorax used chiefly for flight. Odonates have two independently movable pairs that support agile flight.
Meganeura : An extinct genus of giant griffinfly from the Late Carboniferous, often compared with modern dragonflies. Its enormous size illustrates the diversity of ancient odonate relatives, not living dragonflies.
Bioindicator : An organism or group whose presence, absence, or condition provides evidence about environmental conditions. Odonate communities can reflect changes in freshwater habitat quality.
Anisoptera : The suborder containing dragonflies, generally robust odonates with hindwings broader at the base than forewings. Its wing shape and resting posture distinguish most dragonflies from damselflies.
Damselfly : A slender odonate that usually rests with its wings folded together above its body. Damselflies form Odonata’s other major living suborder.
Compound eye : An insect visual organ made of many light-sensitive units called ommatidia. Large compound eyes give adult odonates broad fields of view for detecting prey.
Palaeoptera : A traditional grouping of winged insects, including Odonata and mayflies, that cannot fold their wings over the abdomen. Odonates share this characteristic with mayflies, though the group’s evolutionary status is debated.
Aquatic ecology : The study of interactions among organisms and their physical environments in water. Odonate juveniles are predators and prey within aquatic food webs.
Zygoptera : The suborder containing damselflies, generally slender odonates with similar-sized forewings and hindwings. Most members fold their wings together at rest, unlike typical dragonflies.
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