Western Willow Spreadwing

Chalcolestes viridis

The Western Willow Spreadwing is a beautiful dragonfly with long, slender wings. It loves to flutter around wetlands and ponds, where it can be seen resting on plants or flying gracefully.

Hábitat: Wetlands

Aspecto

The Western Willow Spreadwing has a metallic green or bronze body, often with a frosted blue tip on the male's abdomen. Its clear wings are held partially spread out from its body when at rest, unlike many other damselflies which keep them folded together.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenOdonataFamiliaLestidaeGéneroChalcolestes

Western Willow Spreadwing

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Wow! Each of their compound eyes has thousands of tiny lenses to help them spot prey!

Wow! Male spreadwings sometimes 'guard' females even after mating to protect their eggs!

Wow! Their young, called nymphs, can use a kind of jet propulsion to escape danger underwater!

Wow! They are like tiny flying guardians, showing that nearby wetlands are healthy!

Habilidades especiales

Western Willow Spreadwing can lay eggs inside plant stems above water, which helps protect its young from aquatic predators.

Western Willow Spreadwing nymphs have special feathery gills at their tail end that help them breathe underwater.

Western Willow Spreadwing can swiftly catch tiny insects in mid-air, allowing them to hunt effectively for food.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 50-70 mm
Tamaño: 35-45 mm
Esperanza de vida: 30-90 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 8 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Tiny flying insects are their favorite meal, caught expertly in the air!

Diferencias por edad: Nymphs eat aquatic invertebrates, while adults hunt flying insects.

Alimentos principales

Midges
Mosquitoes
Small flies
Aphids

Método de búsqueda

Pursuit

Conexiones ecológicas

eaten by

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Adults and nymphs are prey for waterfowl.

eaten by

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Adults can be caught by amphibians near water.

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Hunts mosquitoes, helping control their populations.

depends on

White Willow

Salix alba

Lays eggs inside the stems of willows and other water plants.

Rasgos

Solitario

Los animales solitarios viven solos durante la mayor parte de su vida y solo interactúan con otros para aparearse o cuidar de sus crías.

Aéreo

Las criaturas aéreas pasan una parte importante de su vida en el aire, utilizando el vuelo para diversas actividades como la caza, la migración o la anidación.

Colorido

Colorido describe a organismos u objetos que exhiben una amplia variedad de colores brillantes y distintivos.

Insectívoro

Este rasgo identifica a los organismos cuya dieta consiste principalmente en insectos y otros pequeños invertebrados.

Humedal

Este rasgo de hábitat identifica especies que se encuentran en humedales, que son áreas de tierra saturadas de agua, ya sea permanente o estacionalmente, e incluyen marismas, pantanos y ciénagas.