Adaptation

This picture was taken from BugGuide.net with permission from James Reben. All rights reserved to James Reben. This picture is a great close up picture of the Libellula quadrimaculata, and show well how large the eyes are in proportion to the head and how veined the wings are.

With the subfamily of Libellulinae being made up of approximately 275 species within 29 gerera, you may be wondering what makes the Libellula quadrimaculata special? How are they superior to other species out there? Well first of all what makes the Libellula genus special is the fact that they are very aggressive dragonflies. Many of the other dragonflies in the Libellula genus are known as skimmers, but this particular species of dragonfly typically gets called a chaser. The four-spotted chaser is very territorial, especially the males when they are mating. If another male dragonfly or any other type of organism comes anywhere near them they will chase after it and chase it away. (Silsby, 2001).

These dragonflies are chasers and they chase other organisms by flying after them. They have two pairs of wings that are distinct to the class Insecta. The two pairs of wings help them fly through the air at accelerated speeds, also the fore and hind-wings function separately of one another which helps the organism change directions more rapidly. Another unique thing that is not only found in the Libellula quadrimaculata but also found in the order Odonata is the mandible, which is the mouthpart on the underside of their mouth contain tooth like structures that help aide in chewing and breaking down of the organisms.

The dragonflies have heads that can swivel approximately 360 degrees and they have very large eyes in proportion to their heads, so when they sense movement they can use their wings to fly away quickly. They have compound eyes that take up most of their head, so they have a better vision of what's around them. Also because they are small they can move pretty quickly. There wings have veins in them and the veins help provide nutrients so that the organism can continuously move quickly. A lot of the Libellula quadrimaculata structure helps aide in the movement of the organism and helps them get out of dangerous situations faster.

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