review
The book Larvae of dragonflies is a photo guide full of larvae of corn, rhombus, horse biters and glaziers. Nice pictures of beautiful creatures: dragonflies, damselflies and their larvae. We sometimes see dragonflies flying, but the larvae, the layman usually has no idea. This book about dragonfly larvae, along with four other nature books, has been nominated for the Jan Wolkers Prize 2015. It just missed the prize. The winner was ‘Not without each other, flowers and insects’ by Louis Schoonhoven and others.
Book about bugs
- Odonata
- Dragonflies, larvae and dragonfly skins
- Photo guide
- Christophe Brochard and Ewoud van der Ploeg
- Jan Wolkers Prize 2015
Odonata
They have beautiful names, such as corn bolts, rhombs and horse-biters or shine dragonflies and glaziers. Dragonflies are insects belonging to the order of the Odonata. They fly all over the world and almost six thousand species have been counted and described worldwide. They like warmth, which is why they are most common in the warmer regions. There are slightly more than 70 species in the Netherlands. Most of it is indigenous (66). One species sometimes flies there as a wanderer and three species have ever been spotted but are no longer seen. In Belgium there are 69 species. In both countries together 74 have been described, of which five species do occur in the Netherlands and not in Belgium and three Belgian species are not seen in the Netherlands.
Recognize
A dragonfly is a flying insect that you can recognize by the following characteristics:
- it has two pairs of wings, which are firm and richly veined and not foldable
- it has small, inconspicuous antennae
- she has a long and usually slender abdomen
- she looks out of two large multi-faceted eyes that stand on her mobile head
- her thorax is angled
- the legs are placed forward
Dragonflies, larvae and dragonfly skins
Dragonflies live near water. The bugs we see flying are images, adult dragonflies. The dragonfly needs water for reproduction. That’s where we can find them most. In winter they are less visible to the layman, because then they are in the water as an egg or larva.
Heat and sun
Dragonflies love the warmth of the sun. In sunny weather they fly and that’s when we see them the most. As soon as the clouds come they crawl into the green and then they are virtually untraceable. Most of the larvae are in the water bottom or on the water plants. Larvae skins can be found after hatching a dragonfly. It often remains on the riparian vegetation. For the collector: they can be stored for a long time, as long as they are dry and you can prick them with an insect pin. The nice thing about collecting larval skins is that you don’t have to prick an animal to death. The dragonfly itself left alive and well, leaving the skin behind.
Photo guide
Dragonfly larvae is a photo guide for recognizing dragonfly larvae. The book describes 80 species of dragonfly and damselfly larvae from northwestern Europe. A dragonfly is a suborder of the order of dragonflies. In the book you will find clear species descriptions and background information about the ecology of the insects. It also contains tips about searching, catching and breeding and observation tips. The book is richly illustrated with more than 650 unique photos of dragonfly larvae and their environment. The same author published ‘Fotogids Larvae skins van Libellen’. The photo guide about dragonfly larvae is a logical continuation and addition to this guide.
Christophe Brochard and Ewoud van der Ploeg
The work came about through a collaboration between Christophe Brochard (biologist and nature photographer) and Ewoud van der Ploeg (ecologist and insect preparation engineer). Both men are fascinated by the world of butterflies and dragonflies.
Larvae of dragonflies
- Author: Christophe Brochard & Ewoud van der Ploeg
- Language: Dutch
- Number of pages: 272
- Publisher: Knnv
- Released November 2014
- Price: ?? 47.95
Jan Wolkers Prize 2015
The book Larvae van dragonflies by Christophe Brochard & Ewoud van der Ploeg has been nominated for the Jan Wolkers Prize 2015, together with four other nature books:
- The Italian driver – Hans Dorrestijn
- Not without each other, flowers and insects – Louis Schoonhoven and others
- Wilderness, residential area and colony – Louwrens Haquebord
- Grasses basic guide – Arie van den Bremer
Larvae and dragonflies just did not win the prize, that was Not without each other, flowers and insects.
