The insect family Macromiidae contains the
dragonfly
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
species known as cruisers or skimmers. They tend to fly over bodies of water (and roads) straight down the middle. They are similar to
Aeshnidae in size, but the eyes are green and just barely meet at the top of the head.
Macromiidae, or Macromiinae, has been traditionally considered as a subfamily of
Corduliidae (). It contains four genera and 125 species worldwide.
Females of this family lack an
ovipositor
The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...
at the end of the abdomen and lay their eggs by dipping the abdomen in the water as they fly over. Ovipositing is usually done without a male.
Early Stages
The Naiads hatch after two weeks and are born with three gills for respiration (Lung 2001).
Naiad
In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.
They are distinct from river gods, who ...
s are found in rivers, streams, and lakes where there is water movement. They crawl in debris at the water's bottom and wait for prey. They mostly eat mosquito larvae, freshwater shrimp, fish and tadpoles (Young 1955).
References
2. Young, Frank N.; Westfall, Minter J. (1955). "Review of A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America (Anisoptera). (Including the Greater Antilles and the Provinces of the Mexican Border.), Minter J. Westfall, Jr". ''Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences''. 18 (2): 125–127.
ISSN 0015-3850.
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External links
Images of Macromiidae
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2472269
Libelluloidea
Odonata of Australia
Odonata families
Taxa named by James George Needham