Swarthmore College

Week 10: Great Blue Skimmer

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Maia Chandler

It is time for the final blog, and I realise I have neglected to give you (dear readers) a general background on the biology of dragonflies. So, here we go: Dragonfly 101. 

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Week 9: The Fiery Skimmer

Monday, July 29, 2024

Maia Chandler

I say that if modern dragonflies were as big as their ancestors, with around two-foot wingspans (see Week 5: Meganeura monyi), I would still try and befriend them. Unfortunately, this would probably be a bad idea.

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Week 8: The Common Darter

Monday, July 22, 2024

Maia Chandler

Dear dragonflies, I love you. We’ve covered all the dragonfly physics topics in the SOCK, so now it is time to move on to fun facts. Fun fact number one: dragonflies do backflips.

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Week 7: The Southern Hawker

Monday, July 15, 2024

Maia Chandler

There are three more weeks of dragonfly propaganda left. I hope I have done enough propaganda that dragonflies become the most beloved insect. This week? The Southern Hawker, Aeshna cyanea. 

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Week 6: The Flame Skimmer

Monday, July 8, 2024

Maia Chandler

This is a blog post, so I am here to push the dragonfly agenda, once again. They are, after all, the love of my life. However, I’ll introduce this week with bees.

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Week 5: Meganeura monyi

Monday, July 1, 2024

Maia Chandler

Welcome to week five! I’ve talked about how dragonfly’s flight muscles, how they beat their wings and how they produce their incredible colours. Is that enough talking about dragonflies? Never.

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Week 4: The Clearspot Bluewing

Monday, June 24, 2024

Maia Chandler

Zenithoptera lanei, the Clearspot bluewing, is perhaps one of the most beautiful dragonflies. Found in Central America and northern South America, they fly through grassy marshes or clearings, spotted by bright flashes of their shimmering, blue-as-sky wings.

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Week 3: The Elfin Skimmer

Monday, June 17, 2024

Maia Chandler

As a child, I would always pick flight as my hypothetical superpower. Quite unfortunately, that is not what the human body is built for. My dreams may have come true, however, if I had been born an insect (though maybe this would have been unpleasant in a variety of other ways).

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Week 2: The Wandering Glider

Monday, June 10, 2024

Maia Chandler

Dragonflies are some of the world’s best fliers. Pantala flavescens, also known as the Wandering Glider or Globe Skimmer take part in a multigenerational migration every year.

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Maia Chandler

Week 1: The Blue Dasher

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Maia Chandler

Dragonflies, order Odonata, live on every continent except for Antarctica. There are around 3000 species of this predatory insect, characterised by their huge compound eyes, two narrow pairs of intricately veined wings, and elongated, sometimes iridescent bodies.

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