The Insane Biology of: The Dragonfly
4,978,306
Published 2021-08-28
New streaming platform: watchnebula.com/
Patreon: www.patreon.com/realscience
Twitter: twitter.com/stephaniesamma
Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephaniesammann
Credits:
Narrator/Writer: Stephanie Sammann
Writer: Inés Dawson
Editor: Dylan Hennessy (www.behance.net/dylanhennessy1)
Illustrator/Animator: Kirtan Patel (kpatart.com/illustrations)
Animator: Mike Ridolfi (www.moboxgraphics.com/)
Sound: Graham Haerther (haerther.net/)
Thumbnail: Simon Buckmaster (twitter.com/forgottentowel)
Producer: Brian McManus (youtube.com/c/realengineering)
Imagery courtesy of Getty Images
Music:
Youth by ANBR
Waiting by Brianna Tam
Spearhead by Evgeny Bardyuzha
Seasons by ANBR
Intrepid by Brianna Tam
A Tender Heart by The David Roy Collective
A Contrite Spirit by The David Roy Collective
References:
[1] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-048…
[2] sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v…
[3] digitalcommons.esf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article….
[4] link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00170175
[5] www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0003…
[6] journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/215/6/903/1119…
[7] bechly.lima-city.de/Grzimek.pdf
[8] www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124…
[9] journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0954406219861…
[10] link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00693547
[11] www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002…
[12] www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221…
[13] www.nature.com/articles/nature14078
[14] www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101029132924…
[15] news.ucsc.edu/2012/06/giant-insects.html
All Comments (21)
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I remember being only able to see content like this on the Discovery Channel. It's crazy that I can watch content like this (arguably waaay better) at anytime and not being glued to my TV. Brilliant.
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I use to be in the army. I can remember in training, the endless patrols through the woods. But the dragonflies were our friends. You’d see them gliding back and forth just over our heads, catching the mosquitoes which swarmed around us. It was impossible for the dragonflies to get all the mosquitoes, but it was a comfort to know we had allies out there in those woods.
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The idea of dragon flies and hawks competing against each other is crazy. One that big would be terrifying
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I remember an article about this a few years ago. There they explained that dragonflys also can choose where they are actively looking, like, still have 360° vision, but concentrating on one point in their vision. And that you can actually see where a dragonfly is looking, because their eyes will absorb more light there, creating darker spots on the eyes.
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The most badass insect, hands down
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I like how dragonflies literally have different flight modes, including a hover, turbo, reverse, glide and agile mode.
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Has Stephanie Sammann ever received any awards for narration? I see a lot of videos and am often put off by the narration of people who don't seem to understand what a good cadence is. I really like Stephanie's overall delivery.
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These aerial aces saved me when I was camping near the Yukon River. Once there was a thousand mosquitoes, then out of nowhere there were thousands of dragonflies. It was a treat to watch them catch mosquitoes, very beautiful to watch. Extremely agile and nimble in the air.
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The counter-balance to deal with aerodynamic flutter is some really incredible biomechanics. I've seen videos of flutter being tested on airplanes and it's no joke, that can quickly ruin your day.
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I am 70yrs. old and I have viewed a lot of documentaries. This is among the best that have seen. From the videography to the science to the wonderful presentation by a young woman with a great voice who seems to actually enjoy the subject that she is presenting. Thanks Real Science. 4stars from me.
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Dragonflies are by far my favorite insect. Not only are they badass, but they are so friendly as well! Whenever I see one, I can always gently slide my finger into it, and hold it on my finger. I’m sure they would make great pets if they didn’t thrive better in the wild. And they take care of pesky bugs like mosquitoes, and are beautiful in coloration! I can find literally no flaws. They are really the perfect creature.
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Outstanding review. As a geologist I spent most of a summer on a lake north of Yellowknife, NWT, Canada. Taking some time of on a Sunday I watched a dragonfly catch a horsefly in mid flight. It then settled on a thin branch and the first it did was strip off the wings that fluttered to the ground. Unable to escape, the horsefly provided a leisurely lunch. The crunching was audible.
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My sister loved Dragon flies when she passed I got a tattoo of a dragonfly on my arm. I now have a great appreciation for these warriors of the sky.
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"direct flight muscles able to tug on each wing individually" So dragonflies are all wheel drive?
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I had a dragonfly once get stuck in my hair, after very carefully untangling him he sat in my shoulder and even moved to my hand for a solid 2 minutes before flying away. One of the reasons their my favorite insect
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Dragonflies (in German: Libellen) always have fascinated me; and now I've found some incredibly detailed footage which let me learn more about these outstanding insects in a few minutes than I knew all the time before! And once again I can't appreciate enough the genius of nature -- it is still the best constructor and artist!
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Early morning fishing and being surrounded by hundreds of gnats. Dragonfly's are a welcome sight hovering around your boat, snatching up gnat after gnat mid-air. Such a cool sight. At times, they'll even chase your lure while casting it out.
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When my children were younger, I took them to Dartmouth and we went walking, we came to a place by the river Dart and there were dragonflies everywhere. It was really beautiful, they are so acrobatic in the air, and their colouring is amazing, 30 years later, my children have never forgotten it, nor have I.
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Putting aside the fact of their unquestionable and devastating killer instincts, I have always been fascinated by their sheer beauty and design. Mind blowing! Nature has done it all! This is truly the place where the word "awe" is completely applicable. One can only stand in awe of such a creation and smile.
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I watched this video because I recently noticed how crazy their flying skills are. They turn angles on a dime and sometimes stop and hover like a helicopter. I was truly amazed and I had to do some research on them. I started pondering if maybe one day we could make an aircraft that can move like a dragonfly. It would be revolutionary to have a plane that can travel like that.
