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- How many kinds of dragonflies and damselflies are there?
- Currently about 5000 species of dragonflies and damselflies are known;
experts guess that there are probably between 5500 and 6500 species in total.
- How long do they live?
- Most temperate-zone species live as adults less than a month, though some
species can live as long as six months.
- How can I tell a dragonfly from a damselfly?
- Damselflies are usually slim, their forewings and hindwings narrow at the
base and have similar shapes, and their eyes are widely separated. Most species
hold their wings above the abdomen when they are resting. Dragonflies are
larger. Their eyes touch near the top of their head. The wings do not narrow
at the base; the forewings and hindwings differ in shape. When they are
resting, the wings are usually spread.
- What are the biggest dragonfly and damselfly?
- The Megaloprepus coerulatus damselfly of Central America has a
wingspan up to 19 cm. The bulkiest known dragonfly is Petalura ingentissima
from Australia, with a wingspan up to 16 cm. Extinct fossil dragonflies with
wingspans up to 70-75 cm have been identified.
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