The Dance of the Dragonflies Trivia Quiz

Answer: la

Attitudes towards dragonflies depend on the country, where the Asian perception is much different to European. The folklore of many European emphasises that Dragonflies are snakes' companions. Satan is often said to have sent dragonflies into the world to cause mischief; in Italy, France and among the Dakota Indians, these insects are known as witches' animals.

Answer: fly

The dragonfly has four wings unlike the usual two attributed to insects. There are separate muscles for each wing. The hind wings can beat out of phase with the fore wings. They can fly straight up and down as well as hover like a helicopter. If they can't fly, they will starve to death because they only eat prey they catch while flying. They catch their prey, mainly insects, by grabbing it by their six feet. They are one of the most efficient animal hunters in the animal kingdom, catching their prey 95% of the time.

Answer: deaf

A dragonfly is deaf - it has no sense of hearing plus it only has a limited sense of smell. No wonder, a dragonfly has extremely big eyes, considered the largest, proportionally, in the animal kingdom. Adults have a visual field of almost the full 360 degrees, the only blind spot directly behind it. (Any child who tells you they have caught a dragonfly is not telling you the truth).

Answer: Frogs

Dragonflies are predatory both in the aquatic nymph and adult phases. Nymphs feed on freshwater invertebrates and larger ones can prey on small fish and especially tadpoles.
However, a dragonfly is preyed upon by a number of predators including birds, fish and reptiles, particularly lizards. Also because an adult dragonfly whilst residing on land, never strays far from water, it makes it a target for frogs and toads (perhaps they are getting their own back for eating tadpoles earlier in their life cycle!)

Answer: Aniso

If dragonflies and damselflies make up the order Odonata, then dragonflies alone make up the sub-order Anisoptera which means "uneven wing" as the hind wing is much larger than the fore wing.
Dragonflies never fly far from water. Even when found in the desert they will still be near a water source. Perhaps because of this you do not see them in mountainous regions with their altitude limit around 3700m, and even then very few species get so high.

Answer: gonads

The male approaches the female from behind, locks his first pair or arms around the female neck and sometimes bites her to not resist and tells his body to begin transferring sperm from the end of their bodies to their penises which are higher up their bodies. Now in the right position, the male will start the semen transfer.

However female dragonflies mate with multiple partners, so male dragonflies have developed specialised barbs on their penises that scoop a previous male's semen out of a female dragonfly.

Answer: anglers

Dragonflies stay close water. Most of their life is spent underwater as nymph. Eggs are laid into, or adjacent to, water. The larvae adopt an aquatic lifestyle. They feed on aquatic animals such as other insects, tadpoles and occasionally fish. These nymphs are important in the diets of many aquatic predators including fish. As such they make good lures for anglers and fishermen.

There are twelve larval stages which take up to two years to develop. Then the larvae inch their way out of the water. Their skin splits and a adult emerges.

Answer: Sardine

The Asian cultures revere dragonflies unlike their European counterparts. In China, they are a marker of summer but conversely also a symbol of weakness and instability.
In Japan, they are both revered and respected, representing happiness, strength, courage and success. To the Japanese, the tombo (dragonfly) is an important cultural symbol. It is believed to be the "spirit of the rice plant" and a portend of bountiful harvests.
Akitsushmi, which means "Dragonfly Island", is an alternative name for Japan though its origins have not been substantiated.
Dragonfly brand is based in Thailand. Their sardines (in cans) taste sweeter than 'traditional' canned sardines.

Answer: islander

Dragonflies eat insects as adults. They are voracious eaters. They can eat over 30 flies per day. They are are a very effective control on the mosquito population. A single dragonfly can eat at least thirty and even hundreds of mosquitoes per day.

Answer: alongside

To separate dragonflies from damselflies, there are three main differentiation points. Dragonflies are more powerful fliers and can fly in six directions. A damselfly has more limited flying dexterity.
Dragonflies have large eyes so big (and complex) that they make up most of the head.
Damselflies rest with their wings folded along their backs. Dragonflies rest with their wings straight out from their body.