IIt is rare to see dragonflies at this time. Our climate is continental. The first frosts came in September. Nighttime temperatures often drop to almost zero degrees.
The dragonfly is a hunter. But on this day, she just basked in the sun.
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My friend was looking at the photo (# 2) and suddenly asked:
"What are these signal lights on her wings?"
Nothing is accidental in nature. It all makes sense.
These red spots are called pterostigma (это крыловой глазок)
2
Insect wings have rigid veins which support the wing in flight. The wing veins may look different in different insect groups, scientists tracked that all different insect wings are evolved from the same ancestor, i.e. wings had evolved only once in the insects history.
3
In the insect history, the fossil records show that the early insect wing had 8 pairs of main veins. Each pair diverged from wing base into anterior convex and posterior concave sector . The two sectors often fused into one veinal stem near the wing base. In evolution insect wing is in most case modified in reduction of veins.
4
But I'm just watching this hunter. I examine her glass wings and how she balances in the wind.
5
Sources: 1. http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_insects/InsectWings.htm