Parts of an Odonate
There are a few body parts that you really need to know as you go on your first
dragonfly hunt. Knowing the body parts will be necessary for properly identifying
the dragonfly from other insects, and for looking up information in field guides,
texts and publications. Don't panic! We will only be looking at the bare necessities
here.
Damselflies are basically the same, but some slightly different terms are used.
Especially the pattern of thoracic stripes and head markings are different. Check
the illustration below to see some of the differences.
Once you have a working knowledge of the odonate's parts and want to learn more
about the different ID characters, click here
and we'll get started!
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