Discover the fascinating world of dragonflies with the new identification app!

Discover the fascinating world of dragonflies with the new identification app!

The world of dragonflies fascinates not only entomologists, but also nature lovers and educational institutions. Dragonflies are known for their beauty and complexity, serving as important indicators of intact ecosystems. Unfortunately, these insects face significant challenges. Habitat loss, water pollution and climate change pose significant threats to their populations. In order to promote knowledge about these fascinating animals, the newly developed identification app “ID-Logics Dragonflies” was presented. This innovative application enables the identification of all 81 dragonfly species occurring in Germany, such as uni-hannover.de reported.

The app is available free of charge for various platforms such as Android, iOS, iPadOS, MacOS and VisionOS and offers users a variety of functions. This includes high-resolution photos depicting all dragonfly species, as well as explanatory videos on topics such as the animals' body structure and life cycle. Its fault-tolerant determination logic enables easy navigation, and with information available offline, it improves the user experience, even in remote areas.

Promoting education and nature conservation

A particularly important goal of the app is to appeal to students and laypeople interested in nature. This target group is encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of biodiversity while promoting education for sustainable development. In particular, the app supports curricula in biology lessons and in the context of digitalization. The application was developed by an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Dr. Jorge Groß from Leibniz University Hannover and other expert colleagues.

In addition, “ID-Logics Dragonflies” is a sub-project within a growing identification suite of the “ID-Logics” family, which includes modules for various organisms. The distribution maps, which are also integrated into the app, come from the Society of German-Speaking Odonatologists and aim to actively promote the engagement of citizen scientists.

Mythology and cultural significance

Cultural perceptions of dragonflies are remarkably diverse. In Europe they were often negatively described as “devil’s needles,” which added to their mystical aura. In Scandinavia they were considered witches' tools, while the Celts in Ireland believed fairies rode them. In contrast, in Japan, dragonflies are valued as symbols of courage and luck and are called “kachi-mushi,” which made them important throughout history.

• In Nordamerika gelten Libellen als „Pferdestecher“ und stehen für Veränderung und Anpassungsfähigkeit.
• Indigene Völker Nordamerikas sehen sie als Boten von Träumen, die Weisheit bringen.
• In Schweden werden sie mit den Seelen verstorbener Kinder in Verbindung gebracht.
• In Afrika symbolisieren sie Reinheit und Erneuerung.

To deepen the topic, literature on dragonflies, such as the “Fotogids Larvenhuidjes van Libellen”, offers deeper insights into the identification of dragonfly exuvia. This publication, published in 2012 and reprinted in 2016, attracts particular attention for its high-quality photos and clear presentation of scientific names, such as bund-naturschutz.de can be read.