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Article: To catch a dragonfly.
- Article from:
- Science News for Kids
- Article date:
- December 13, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Try to catch a dragonfly. I dare you.
"They're so quick and so smart, it sometimes takes us hours with five people to catch one," says Martin Wikelski. He's an ecologist at Princeton University in New Jersey.
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The pencil-thin, four-winged insects hover and dart, changing directions in an instant.
"They're amazing," Wikelski says. "They're like little helicopters."
Despite the challenges, scientists chase dragonflies to better understand their behavior, their habitats, and the dangers that threaten them. Surprises keep popping up, and dragonflies are giving researchers new ways to think about interactions ...