kids encyclopedia robot

Adam's emerald dragonfly facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Horned urfly
Scientific classification
Archaeophya adamsi distribution map.svg

The Archaeophya adamsi, often called the Horned Urfly or Adam's emerald dragonfly, is a unique type of dragonfly. It belongs to the family Gomphomacromiidae. This special insect is one of the rarest dragonflies found only in Australia. It lives in rivers and streams near the coast in Queensland and New South Wales.

Meet the Horned Urfly

The Horned Urfly is a fascinating creature. It's known for being quite rare. This means you won't see it everywhere! It's an endemic species, which means it naturally lives only in Australia and nowhere else in the world.

What Does the Horned Urfly Look Like?

Adult Horned Urflies are fairly large and strong. They have a dark brownish-black body with thin yellow rings. They are quite striking to look at!

The Life Cycle of the Horned Urfly

The life of a Horned Urfly starts as a nymph. These young dragonflies live in the water.

Horned Urfly Nymphs

  • Horned Urfly nymphs can grow up to 23 millimeters long.
  • They live among rocks and plant bits along the edges of streams.
  • You can tell them apart by a special two-lobed plate on their head.
  • These nymphs live for a long time, about 7 years, before they become adults.

Adult Horned Urflies

  • Once they become adults, they probably only live for a few months.
  • During this time, they fly around and lay eggs to start the next generation.

Where Does the Horned Urfly Live?

This amazing dragonfly makes its home in the coastal areas of Australia. It prefers to breed in clean rivers and streams. You can find them in parts of Queensland and New South Wales.

Dragonfly Family Mystery

Scientists are still learning about the Horned Urfly. There is some discussion about which dragonfly family it truly belongs to. Some think it's part of the Gomphomacromiidae family, while others suggest it might fit better with the Synthemistidae or Corduliidae families. This shows how much there is still to discover about the natural world!

Gallery

  • Archaeophya adamsi female wings (35053016745)

    Look closely at the wings of a female Horned Urfly.

  • Archaeophya adamsi male wings (35053021635)

    Here are the wings of a male Horned Urfly.

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Adam's emerald dragonfly Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.