From the fossil record, which stretches back 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 you 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 traveling thousands of miles while on migration, and the complex reproductive strategies of courtship and territoriality.
The importance 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.
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