The large dragonfly Aeschna sp. (order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera), is a fantastic specimen of insect machinery. This male is newly emerged and does not yet show its full coloration.
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| Aeshna sp. male, newly emerged (teneral) |
Aeschna are among the largest and fastest fliers. They can be seen zipping around marshes, ponds, lakes, fens, and other wetlands. The larvae are aquatic and the adults are terrestrial throughout the summer but lay eggs in aquatic vegetation or directly in water.
Odonata (dragonflies or damselfly) males have terminal appendages at the end of their abdomen which they use to grasp females during mating. The claspers grab the females behind their head and for many species the structure of the male claspers and female neck plates are species-specific.
