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Review
. 2019 Feb 28;10(3):62.
doi: 10.3390/insects10030062.

Odonata: Who They Are and What They Have Done for Us Lately: Classification and Ecosystem Services of Dragonflies

Michael L May  1
Affiliations
Review

Odonata: Who They Are and What They Have Done for Us Lately: Classification and Ecosystem Services of Dragonflies

Michael L May. Insects. .

Abstract

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are well-known but often poorly understood insects. Their phylogeny and classification have proved difficult to understand but, through use of modern morphological and molecular techniques, is becoming better understood and is discussed here. Although not considered to be of high economic importance, they do provide esthetic/spiritual benefits to humans, and may have some impact as predators of disease vectors and agricultural pests. In addition, their larvae are very important as intermediate or top predators in many aquatic ecosystems. More recently, they have been the objects of study that have yielded new information on the mechanics and control of insect flight.

Keywords: biomimetic technology; climate warming; damselfly; dragonfly; ecological indicators; mosquito control; myth and art; phylogeny; predation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Early Autumn, painting by Qian Xuan (China, 1235–1305, Yuan Dynasty; [69]. Reproduced from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qian_Xuan, visited on 2 November 2018).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Page from Caesar’s De bello Gallico with added border incorporating a dragonfly and emblems of the Visconti family [74]; (B) Dragonfly, Pear, Carnation, and Insect in Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta, 1561–1562, illumination added 1591–1596 by Joris Hoefnagel; J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. 20, fol. 76 [75].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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