"ants and bees) in the order Hymenoptera have the first segment of the abdomen fused with the thorax, which is called the propodeum. In most flying insects, the thorax allows for the use of asynchronous muscles. Thorax (insect anatomy) The thorax is the midsection (tagma) of the insect body. It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma in other arthropods. It is formed by the prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax and comprises the scutellum; the cervix, a membrane that separates the head from the thorax; and the pleuron, a lateral sclerite of the thorax. In dragonflies"
"Trithemis annulata Trithemis annulata, known commonly as the violet dropwing, violet-marked darter, purple-blushed darter or plum-coloured dropwing, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in most of Africa, in the Middle East, in the Arabian Peninsula and southern Europe. These insects are called dropwings because of their habit of immediately lowering their wings after landing on a perch. Males of this species are violet-red with red veins in the wings while females are yellow and brown. Both sexes have red eyes. The following subspecies are recognised as valid: ""Trithemis annulata"" is a robust medium-sized species"
"Dunnock The dunnock (""Prunella modularis"") is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species. Other common names of the dunnock include the hedge accentor, hedge sparrow, or hedge warbler. The name ""dunnock"" comes English ""dun"" (dingy brown, dark-coloured) and the diminutive ""ock"", and ""accentor"" is from post-classical Latin and means a person who sings with another. The genus name ""Prunella"" is from the German ""Braunelle"", ""dunnock"", a diminutive"
"to ""Aeshna"". Their American name ""darner"" stems from the female abdomens looking like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor. The dragonflies mate in flight. The eggs are deposited in water or close by. The larvae (nymphs or naiads) are generally slender compared to those of other families, with a long and flat extensible lower lip (labia). The larvae are aquatic predators, feeding on other insects and even small fish. The adults spend large amounts of time in the air and seem to fly tirelessly with their four large and"
"males grow to in length with a wingspan of up to . Females oviposit in aquatic vegetation, eggs laid beneath the water surface. Nymphs (naiads) are aquatic carnivores, feeding on insects, tadpoles and small fish. Adult darners catch insects on the wing, including ant royalty, moths, mosquitoes and flies. Green darner The green darner or common green darner (""Anax junius""), after its resemblance to a darning-needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America, it also ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration"
"syn. ""Papilio gonerilla""), and the Australian/New Zealand yellow admiral butterfly (""Vanessa itea""). Urtica urens Urtica urens, commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia and it can be found in North America and New Zealand as an introduced species. It is reputed to sting more strongly than the Common Nettle/Stinging Nettle. In Europe, ""Urtica urens"" is one of the food plants of the small tortoiseshell butterfly (""Aglais urticae""). In New Zealand it is also a food plant"
"Hercules beetle The Hercules beetle (""Dynastes hercules"", Dynastinae) is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests of Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles, and is the longest extant species of beetle in the world, and is also one of the largest flying insects in the world. The beetle is named after Hercules, a hero of classical mythology famed for his great strength. ""D. hercules"" has a complex taxonomic history and has been known by several synonyms. It is in the subfamily Dynastinae (rhinoceros beetles) in the larger family Scarabaeidae (commonly known as scarab beetles). Not counting"
"tails while perched. The full list of species is: Phoebe (bird) The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds, known as phoebes, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. The genus name ""Sayornis"" is constructed from the specific part of Charles Lucien Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, ""Muscicapa saya"", and Ancient Greek ""ornis"", ""bird"". The English ""Phoebe"" is a name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana. They are native to North and South America. They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on a perch and then catch insects. Their nest is an open cup sometimes placed on"
"Sympetrum danae Sympetrum danae, the black darter or black meadowhawk is a dragonfly found in northern Europe, Asia, and North America. At about long, it is Britain's smallest resident dragonfly. It is a very active late summer insect typical of heathland and moorland bog pools. Members of the genus ""Sympetrum"" are known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in the US and Canada. Both sexes have black legs and pterostigmata and a very broad base to the hind wing. The thorax has yellow sides separated by a bold black panel in which are three yellow spots, resembling a"
"Anhinga The anhinga (; ""Anhinga anhinga""), sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word ""anhinga"" comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means devil bird or snake bird. The origin of the name snakebird is apparent when swimming: only the colored neck appears above water so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nares (nostrils) and breathe solely through their epiglottis. The anhinga is placed in the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to Indian (""Anhinga melanogaster""), African"
"name may have resulted from a printer's error in spelling the Greek ""Aechma"", ""a spear"". The spelling 'Aeschnidae' has been intermittently used over a period of time, but is now abandoned for the original name 'Aeshnidae'. However, derived genus names (such as ""Rhionaeschna"") retain the 'sch' spelling, as this is how they were first cited. Aeshnidae The insect family Aeshnidae, sometimes called aeshnids, comprises the hawkers (or darners in North America). They are the largest dragonflies found in North America and Europe and are among the largest dragonflies on the planet. This family represents also the fastest flying dragonflies of"
"Aeshnidae The insect family Aeshnidae, sometimes called aeshnids, comprises the hawkers (or darners in North America). They are the largest dragonflies found in North America and Europe and are among the largest dragonflies on the planet. This family represents also the fastest flying dragonflies of the order of the dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). Common worldwide or nearly worldwide genera are ""Aeshna"" and ""Anax"". The African ""Anax tristis"" has a wingspan of over 125 mm, making it one of the world's largest known dragonflies. The 41 North American species in 11 genera are represented in this family. Most European species belong"
"to the lesser Tasmanian darner, ""Austroaeschna hardyi"". Tasmanian darner The Tasmanian darner, (Austroaeschna tasmanica), is a species of large dragonfly in the family Telephlebiidae, which includes some of the world's largest dragonflies. It is found in Tasmania, Australia. The species was first described by Robert Tillyard in 1916 and inhabits streams and rivers. Also referred to as ""hawkers"", the name ""darner"" derives from the fact that the female abdomens look like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor. The Tasmanian darner is a stout, dark dragonfly with a very dark"
"Draco maculatus Draco maculatus, commonly known as the spotted flying dragon, is a species of agamid flying lizard endemic to Southeast Asia. It is capable of gliding from tree to tree. Head small; snout a little longer than the diameter of the orbit; nostril lateral, directed outwards; tympanum scaly. Upper head-scales unequal, strongly keeled; a compressed prominent scale on the posterior part of the superciliary region; 7 to 11 upper labials. The male's gular appendage very large, always much longer than the head, and frequently twice as long; female also with a well-developed but smaller gular sac. Male with a"
"the nerve cord to give steering commands to the insect. The result is a ""micro-aerial vehicle that's smaller, lighter and stealthier than anything else that's manmade"". Dragonfly A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος ""anisos"", ""unequal"" and πτερόν ""pteron"", ""wing"", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the"
"is noted for its defensive tactic of standing on its head and squirting a noxious spray. This has earned it the additional names of clown bug and stink bug, names also applied to other unrelated insects. Pinacate beetle Pinacate beetles, also known as stink beetles, are darkling beetles of the genus Eleodes endemic to the Sonoran Desert and adjacent regions of the U.S. Southwest and Mexico, usually the species ""Eleodes obscurus"". The name is also loosely applied to a number of closely related species of ""Eleodes"", of Western Mexico and the Western United States (including the Great Basin), which, aside"
"Darkling beetle Darkling beetle is the common name of the large family of beetles, Tenebrionidae. The number of species in the Tenebrionidae is estimated at more than 20,000 and the family is cosmopolitan in distribution. ""Tenebrionidae"" means roughly: ""those that are like ""Tenebrio""""; ""Tenebrio"" was the Latin generic name that Carl Linnaeus had assigned to some flour beetles in his ""10th edition of Systema Naturae"" 1758-59. ""Tenebrio"" in turn literally means ""seeker of dark places"" or figuratively a trickster. In English, ""darkling"" is a more or less literal translation of ""tenebrio"", meaning ""dweller in dark"". Numerous Tenebrionidae species do inhabit"
"Urtica urens Urtica urens, commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia and it can be found in North America and New Zealand as an introduced species. It is reputed to sting more strongly than the Common Nettle/Stinging Nettle. In Europe, ""Urtica urens"" is one of the food plants of the small tortoiseshell butterfly (""Aglais urticae""). In New Zealand it is also a food plant for the New Zealand red admiral butterfly (""Bassaris gonerilla"", syn. ""Vanessa gonerilla"","
"the certainty of paternity. If a male has greater access to a female, and therefore a higher chance of a successful fertilisation, during a specific mating period, it would provide more care towards the young. Dunnock The dunnock (""Prunella modularis"") is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of the accentor family, which otherwise consists of mountain species. Other common names of the dunnock include the hedge accentor, hedge sparrow, or hedge warbler. The name ""dunnock"" comes"
"Phasmatodea The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects, whose members are variously known as stick insects in Europe and Australasia; stick-bugs, walking sticks or bug sticks in the United States and Canada; or as phasmids, ghost insects or leaf insects (generally the family Phylliidae). The group's name is derived from the Ancient Greek """", meaning an apparition or phantom, referring to the resemblance of many species to sticks or leaves. Their natural camouflage makes them difficult for predators to detect, but many species have a secondary line of defence in the form of startle"
"Red-veined darter The red-veined darter or nomad (""Sympetrum fonscolombii"") is a dragonfly of the genus ""Sympetrum"". There is genetic and behavioural evidence that ""S. fonscolombii"" is not closely related to the other members of the genus ""Sympetrum"" and it will at some time in the future be removed from this genus. ""Sympetrum fonscolombii"" was named under the protonym "" Libellula fonscolombii "" by the Belgian entomologist Edmond de Sélys Longchamps, in 1840, in honor of the French entomologist Étienne of Fonscolombe (hence the species name). Its name is sometimes spelt ""fonscolombei"" instead of ""fonscolombii"" but Askew (2004) gives the latter"
"Dragonfly A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος ""anisos"", ""unequal"" and πτερόν ""pteron"", ""wing"", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold the wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies"
"Dainty damselfly The dainty damselfly (""Coenagrion scitulum""), also known as the dainty bluet, is a blue damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. This is a scarce species found mainly in southern Europe, northern Africa, southwest Asia, and Central America. ""C. scitulum"" are Odonata (dragonflies & damselflies) predators that can reach a length of 30–33 mm at maturity and have hind-wing lengths of 15–20 mm. The males and females do exhibit differing features through their colouration making them easily distinguishable. As shown in the photo to the left, segment eight is blue in colour followed by black markings on segment nine, whereas"
"Darna pallivitta Darna pallivitta, the nettle caterpillar or stinging nettle caterpillar, is a moth of the Limacodidae family. It is native to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Borneo. But it is now also established in the Hawaiian islands and Japan. The larvae feed on the leaves of a wide range of plants, including ""Areca"", ""Caryota"", ""Cocos"", ""Phoenix"", ""Rhapsis"", ""Veitchia merrillii"", ""Adenostemma"", ""Commelina diffusa"", ""Breynia"", ""Vigna marina"", ""Cordyline terminalis"", ""Dracaena"", ""Iris"", ""Ficus"", ""Averrhoa carambola"", ""Coffea arabica"", ""Pipturus albidus"", ""Alyxia oliviformis"", ""Monstera"", ""Neodypsis decaryi"", ""Wedelia"", ""Tillandsia cyanea"", ""Desmodium uncinatum"", ""Erythrina sandwicensis"", ""Cuphea"", ""Beaucarnea recurvata"", ""Cordyline marginata"", ""Ophiopogon"", ""Clidemia hirta"", ""Tibouchina"","
"and Children's. Phasmatodea The Phasmatodea (also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera) are an order of insects, whose members are variously known as stick insects in Europe and Australasia; stick-bugs, walking sticks or bug sticks in the United States and Canada; or as phasmids, ghost insects or leaf insects (generally the family Phylliidae). The group's name is derived from the Ancient Greek """", meaning an apparition or phantom, referring to the resemblance of many species to sticks or leaves. Their natural camouflage makes them difficult for predators to detect, but many species have a secondary line of defence in the form"
"Halloween pennant The Halloween pennant (""Celithemis eponina"") is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is native to eastern North America, including Ontario in Canada and the United States as far west as Colorado. The Halloween pennant has been described as looking very similar to a butterfly. Its wings are entirely orange-yellow in color with dark brown bands, the Halloween inspiration for its common name. Dragonflies of its genus perch at the tips of plants, waving in the breeze like pennants. The young has yellow markings, including a stripe on its back. The adult male and female may"
"Phoebe (bird) The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds, known as phoebes, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. The genus name ""Sayornis"" is constructed from the specific part of Charles Lucien Bonaparte's name for Say's phoebe, ""Muscicapa saya"", and Ancient Greek ""ornis"", ""bird"". The English ""Phoebe"" is a name for the Roman moon-goddess Diana. They are native to North and South America. They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on a perch and then catch insects. Their nest is an open cup sometimes placed on man-made structures. They often slowly lower and raise their"
"Dragonhunter The dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus) is a clubtail dragonfly of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is much larger than any other North American clubtail, at , with black and yellow markings and green eyes. Males can be distinguished at a distance by their habit of curling their abdomens under while flying, forming a sideways J shape. The dragonhunter is the only member of genus Hagenius. Its closest relatives are Asian dragonflies of genus ""Sieboldius"", which are also sometimes called ""dragonhunters"". Together the two genera form the subfamily Hageniinae. The nymph is unusual, with a very flat, wide"
"Lestes dryas Lestes dryas is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. Its common names include emerald spreadwing, scarce emerald damselfly and robust spreadwing. An alternate name in Ireland is the turlough spreadwing. This species is native to the Holarctic, especially northern parts of Eurasia and North America. It is relictual in North Africa. ""L. dryas"" can tolerate extreme conditions that few other dragonflies can survive. This damselfly is about 35 to 42 millimeters long, the generally longer than the females. The males' wingspan is about 45 millimeters and the females' about 47 millimeters. Like the other"
"Tasmanian darner The Tasmanian darner, (Austroaeschna tasmanica), is a species of large dragonfly in the family Telephlebiidae, which includes some of the world's largest dragonflies. It is found in Tasmania, Australia. The species was first described by Robert Tillyard in 1916 and inhabits streams and rivers. Also referred to as ""hawkers"", the name ""darner"" derives from the fact that the female abdomens look like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor. The Tasmanian darner is a stout, dark dragonfly with a very dark colouring and light markings. It appears similar"
"Thrush nightingale The thrush nightingale (""Luscinia luscinia""), also known as the sprosser, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in forests in Europe and Asia and overwintering in Africa. The distribution is more northerly than the very closely related common nightingale, ""Luscinia megarhynchos"", which it closely resembles in appearance. It nests near the ground in dense undergrowth. The thrush nightingale"
"Winged serpent (Dungeons & Dragons) In the ""Dungeons & Dragons"" fantasy role-playing game, the winged serpent, also known as a flying snake is a magical beast. As their name suggests, they resemble small snakes who sport large, gauzy, feathered wings, and hence have the ability to fly. They also have small crests on their heads, and a stingray-like fan on the end of their tails. They live in jungles. The winged serpent first appeared in second edition for the Al-Qadim setting in the ""Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix"" (1992), and reprinted in the ""Monstrous Manual"" (1993). As said before, winged serpents"
"Sympetrum Sympetrum is a genus of small to medium-sized skimmer dragonflies, known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in North America. The more than 50 species predominantly live in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; no ""Sympetrum"" species is native to Australia. Most North American darters fly in late summer and autumn, breeding in ponds and foraging over meadows. Commonly, they are yellow-gold as juveniles, with mature males and some females becoming bright red on part or all of their bodies. An exception to this color scheme is the black darter (""Sympetrum danae""). The genus includes the"