Foto: Paweł Niemiec

Banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)

Dragonflies are among the finest and oldest insects of the world. They have been on the Earth for more than 325 million years, thus they emerged much earlier than man, and even dinosaurs. The banded demoiselle is a dragonfly with a slim body, sparkling with green and blue colors. The flapping flight and the metallic shine make it easy to spot among the vegetation growing on the banks of rivers and streams. Dragonflies have well-developed eyes. Most of the time they watch the environment. Males usually guard their territory and the females fly, like a small helicopter, over the entire body of water to find food and mate. The banded demoiselle is characterized by sexual dimorphism. Males are metallic blue and females – green. The fertilized female lays eggs into parts of plants floating on the water. From eggs develop larvae which transform into adults just below the water surface. The whole development of the insect lasts for two years, and adults live only for two weeks. Dragonflies are efficient predators. They catch their prey on the fly and devour it using sharp mandibles. Thanks to their voracious nature they help us in the fight against mosquitoes and other pests.