Dragonflies

Dragonflies and damselflies have lived on earth for hundreds of millions of years, and there are thousands of different species living in watery environments throughout the world. Their aerial agility and vivid colours make them easily noticed on sunny summer days. But few people will have looked beyond the flash of blue, red, green or yellow to consider the lives of dragonflies. From the fossil record, which stretches back to an astonishing 250 million years, to a discussion of the major human impacts that are threatening many of today's species to extinction. Steve Brooks takes the reader into the world of these fascinating insects. He introduces their complex lifestyles - from the ferocious larval stages, lurking amongst plants and debris in lakes and rivers, to their transformation into breathtaking adults swooping after prey or fighting rivals to defend their territories. He discusses how they evolved into masters of aerial predation, capable of travelling thousands of miles while on migration, and the complex reproductive strategies of courtship and territoriality. The imporatance of dragonflies is revealed as predators of insects such as mosquitoes, the adults of which transmit malaria, as well as their value as indicators of environmental quality. Also included are suggestions for projects that the reader can do to conserve dragonflies, like recording their distributions or digging a garden pond. "Dragonflies" is fully illustrated with colour photographs that reveal the beauty and hidden complexity of these intriguing insects.