Dragonfly Traditional Cache
xtinkshun: Darn it. That was a cool box I had it hidden in. :(
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Is a dragonfly a fly?
No. Flies are insects with two wings. Dragonflies have four wings.
However, both flies and dragonflies are insects, meaning that they
have six legs and three body parts: a head, a thorax, and an
abdomen.
Why are they called dragonflies?
The name comes from their fierce jaws, which they use to catch
flies (among other winged insects).
Where do dragonflies come from?
The dragonfly begins its life as an egg. Adult female dragonflies
lay their eggs in water. After about two weeks, the eggs hatch and
an immature dragonfly, or nymph, emerges. The nymphs are not pretty
like the adults. They have tiny wings and a large lower lip, which
they use to catch their prey (often mosquito larvae). Dragonfly
nymphs live in the water. As they grow, they molt (shed their
skin). Nymphs of some species may take as long as three years to
mature. When the dragonfly nymph reaches maturity, it crawls out of
the water onto a plant stem. Then its skin begins to split. First
the head, then the thorax, then the legs, and then the wings of an
adult dragonfly emerge. Soon the newly emerged dragonfly is able to
fly. The process takes about two hours. It takes about two days
before the adult dragonfly's beautiful colors are fully developed.
Adult dragonflies live only a few months.
How long have dragonflies been around?
Dragonflies are ancient insects. They were around before the
dinosaurs! Ancient dragonflies may have been considerably larger
than those we see today. A fossilized impression of a dragonfly
wing, found in a coal mine in England, is the oldest known
dragonfly specimen. This dragonfly lived 300 million years ago and
had a wingspan of eight inches. The largest known dragonfly had a
wingspan of 24 inches (two feet). Today, the largest dragonfly is
found in South America and has a wingspan of slightly over seven
inches. Other than being smaller, modern-day dragonflies do not
look very different from their ancestors.
Are dragonflies like other insects?
Dragonflies and damselflies belong to an order of insects all their
own, called Odonata. Although the two are similar, damselflies are
smaller than dragonflies. In addition, damselflies can fold their
wings over their backs when they are at rest. Dragonflies can't
fold their wings, so they rest with their wings held straight
out.
Are dragonflies beneficial to humans?
You bet they are! In fact, dragonflies are sometimes called
"mosquito hawk" because they catch and eat so many mosquitoes.
Always on the hunt, dragonflies consume gnats, flies, and
mosquitoes--all of which humans consider pests.
Why are dragonflies such good hunters?
Dragonflies' ability to maneuver makes them able to out-fly their
prey. But dragonflies also have the advantage of excellent
eyesight. If you've ever watched dragonflies, no doubt you have
noticed their huge eyes. Each of the two large eyes is made up of
thousands of six-sided units. Together, these smaller eyes enable a
dragonfly to detect even the slightest movement. To test this, try
sneaking up and catching a dragonfly. You usually come up
empty-handed.
Now, defy the odds and go catch this one. You’re looking for a
magnetic tin with guess what on it? Bring your own writing utensil.
There’s nothing special for the FTF except the ego-inflating
satisfaction that you are the first to pencil or pen yourself
in.
***Congrats to lostlad for FTF!!***
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