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dragonfly
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Eight-spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula forensis) with a blue body and wings marked by black and white spots, perched on a green leaf. Long-winged skimmer Attenborough's pintail Dragonfly larva Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) with green and blue body and transparent wings, perched at the edge of water. Skimmer Dragonfly fossil A large dragonfly with clear wings and a striped black-and-white body rests on the green leaves of a strawberry plant. An adult dragonfly emerging from its brown nymph exoskeleton while clinging to a green stem, showing the process of metamorphosis.
How a dragonfly larva catches prey
At a Glance
Eight-spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula forensis) with a blue body and wings marked by black and white spots, perched on a green leaf.
dragonfly summary
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Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
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Lion (panthera leo)
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Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
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The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024
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wasp. Vespid Wasp (Vespidaea) with antennas and compound eyes drink nectar from a cherry. Hornets largest eusocial wasps, stinging insect in the order Hymenoptera, related to bees. Pollination
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Eight-spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula forensis) with a blue body and wings marked by black and white spots, perched on a green leaf.
Dragonfly Eight-spotted skimmer (Libellula forensis).

dragonfly

insect
Also known as: Anisoptera, darner, darning needle, devil’s arrow, devil’s darning needle(Show More)
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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dragonfly, (suborder Anisoptera), any of a group of roughly 3,000 species of aerial predatory insects most commonly found near freshwater habitats throughout most of the world. Damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) are sometimes also called dragonflies in that both are odonates (order Odonata). Extremely strong and agile fliers, dragonflies are among the fastest insects known and are voracious predators of flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies. In 2021 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)...

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