世界蜻蜓與臺灣蜻蜓
Dragonflies around the World and in Taiwan
蜻蜓目昆蟲包含了蜻蜓和豆娘，根據化石的紀錄，最早的蜻蜓目出現在距今約三億年前的石炭紀，比已經絕種而曾經稱霸地球的恐龍還要早好幾千萬年。當時蜻蜓的體型比現生的種類巨大許多，有些種類展翅可達70公分。
Dragonflies and damselflies are insects that belong to the Order Odonata. Fossil records indicate that dragonflies first appeared about 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period. Back then, dragonflies were much larger than they are today. Some had a wingspan of up to 70 cm.
蜻蜓化石
科：Proterogomphidae
學名：Cordulagomphus cf. fenestratus
白堊紀下期
(一億兩千五百萬年前)
全世界已知的蜻蜓目共有39科近7000種，熱帶及亞熱帶的種類較多；臺灣目前已確認的種類有13科161種，其中28種為特有種或特有亞種。
Order Odonata includes approximately 7,000 known species in 39 families. 161 species from 13 families have been confirmed in Taiwan, with 28 being endemic species or endemic subspecies.
臺 灣 蜻 蜓 各 科
蜻蜓科
弓蜓科
晏蜓科
春蜓科
勾蜓科
洵蟌科
鼓蟌科
螨蟌科
細蟌科
琵蟌科
幽蟌科
絲蟌科
珈蟌科
如何分辨蜻蜓和豆娘
Distinguishing between Dragonflies and Damselflies
蜻蜓目分成兩大家族，分別是體型壯碩的蜻蜓，跟身材纖細的豆娘 ( 又稱為蟌 )；而外形介於兩者之間的昔蜓 ( Anisozygoptera ) 在過去被認為屬於第三個家族，但最近的研究顯示牠們與蜻蜓有更近的親緣關係。
The order Odonata consists of two groups : Anisoptera (dragonflies) and Zygoptera (damselflies). Anisozygoptera which was considered to belong to the third group of Odonata, but recent studies have shown that they are more closely related to dragonflies.
昔蜓
Anisozygoptera
昔蜓
Anisozygoptera
蜻蜓 Dragonfly
豆娘 Damselfly
在分類上，蜻蜓屬於平翼亞目(Anisoptera)，而豆娘則是豎翼亞目(Zygoptera)，蜻蜓前後翅的大小、形狀及翅脈不同，停棲時，翅膀平展於身體兩側；豆娘前後翅的大小、形狀及翅脈相似，停棲時翅膀豎起在身體背方。
Dragonflies belong to the Suborder Anisoptera, while damselflies belong to the Suborder Zygoptera. The front and rear wings of the dragonfly are different in size, shape and venation, or the arrangement of veins. When a dragonfly rests on a perch, its wings are spread out horizontally on either side of its body. The front and rear wings of the damselfly are similar in size, shape and venation. They are also kept upright behind the body when the insect rests.
複眼 compound eyes
蜻蜓 Dragonfly
豆娘 Damselfly
此外，蜻蜓的複眼大、距離相近或相連；豆娘的複眼較小，像啞鈴，位於頭的兩側。
The compound eyes of the dragonfly are large and contiguous, while the damselfly has small, dumbbell-shaped compound eyes on the side of its head.
蜻蜓
豆娘
蜻蜓目的稚蟲生活在水中，稱為水蠆(ㄔㄞˋ)。豆娘水蠆身體細長，腹部末端有三片尾鰓；蜻蜓水蠆大多身體寬扁或圓胖，沒有尾鰓，有的種類腹部末端具有發達的尾錐，可以攻擊獵物或天敵。
Odonata nymphs live in water. Damselfly nymphs have a slender body with three gills at the tip of its tail, while dragonfly nymphs have a flattened or rounded body with no tail gills. Some dragonfly nymphs have a well-developed stinger at the end of their abdomen with which to attack their prey or predator.
蜻蜓的棲息環境
Dragonfly Habitats
臺灣從平地至海拔三千公尺的高山均可發現蜻蜓，蜻蜓的棲地分成河川、溪流或溝渠等流動水域，及湖泊、池塘、沼澤或水田等靜止水域。有些蜻蜓對於棲地的要求比較特殊，例如樹穴蜻蜓喜歡積水的人工容器、樹洞或竹筒，稀有的小紅蜻蜓跟四斑細蟌分別只出現在山區的泥炭蘚沼澤與河口的蘆葦叢沼澤；而主要分布在海岸地區的高翔蜻蜓則能適應鹹水的環境。
In Taiwan, dragonflies can be found from the plains to the mountains, up to an elevation of 3,000 meters. Dragonflies inhabit either moving bodies of water such as rivers, streams or ditches, or stationary bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, swamps, or rice paddies. Some dragonflies prefer rather unusual habitats such as stagnant water in man-made containers, tree holes, swamps or saltwater environments near the coast.
蜻蜓的棲息環境
Dragonfly Habitats
草澤環境看似無水，底下卻蘊含水源
下過雨的草澤
林相較隱蔽的溪流有許多喜歡晨昏活動的蜓種出沒
林相較開闊的溪流常有大型豆娘或勾蜓活動
蜻蜓和豆娘的食物
Dragonfly and Damselfly Diets
蜻蜓與豆娘都是屬於肉食性昆蟲，不管是成蟲還是水蠆都是以捕食維生。飛行的蜻蜓與豆娘會獵食空中的昆蟲，水蠆捕食水中的動物。
Both dragonflies and damselflies are carnivorous insects, and both adults and larvae are prey. Dragonflies and damselflies will hunt insects in the air, while nymphs will prey on animals in the water.
蜻蜓與豆娘是優秀的捕食者，蚊蠅、蝶蛾及蜉蝣是成蟲常見的食物，只要是空中抓得到的昆蟲，都會成為牠們的盤中飧。
Dragonflies are excellent predators. Adults will hunt flies, butterflies and mayflies.
水蠆捕食
水蠆會捕食水中魚、蝦、蝌蚪和水生昆蟲。牠們的捕獵工具是下唇，平時收在頭部下方，可摺疊且前端具彎鉤，攻擊獵物時，會以迅雷不及掩耳的速度向前彈射出去。
The nymphs prey on fish, shrimp, tadpoles and other aquatic insects in water. The lower mandible can be folded and has a hooked tip. Their mandible is usually stowed under the dragonfly’s head and is extended forward at high speed to attack its prey.
同類相食的情形在蜻蜓的世界非常普遍，蜻蜓會捕食豆娘，大型豆娘則會捕食小型豆娘；有時候成熟成蟲甚至會捕食剛羽化、飛行能力較弱的同種成蟲。
Cannibalism is commonplace in the dragonfly world. Dragonflies will prey on damselflies, and large damselflies will also prey on smaller damselflies. Mature adults will sometimes even eat adults of the same species that have just emerged from its nymph phase and are unable to fly yet.
蜻蜓和豆娘的天敵
Predators of Dragonfly and Damselfly
在空中，鳥類和蜘蛛是蜻蜓最主要的天敵，即使是體型最大的無霸勾蜓也難逃人面蜘蛛的魔掌。在水邊，青蛙則是蜻蜓主要的敵人，雌蟲靠近水面產卵時，一不小心就會被等在一旁的青蛙吞食掉。視力敏銳而且同樣是利用守株待兔方式獵食的螳螂和食蟲虻，是少數會捕食蜻蜓的昆蟲，食蟲虻甚至常會獵捕體型比自己大上許多的蜻蜓。
水蠆的天敵包括肉食性的魚類和水生昆蟲，如紅娘華或龍蝨。水蠆間也會互相捕食，只要體型比自己小的，通通是牠們的食物。
Birds, spiders and frogs are the main predators of dragonflies. Some carnivorous insects such as the praying mantis and robber fly hunt dragonflies as well. Nymphs are preyed upon by carnivorous fish and aquatic insects such as water scorpions and water beetles. The nymphs are also cannibalistic and will eat anything smaller than they themselves are.
