DRAGONFLIES (PREDATOR INSECT)

               Dragonflies are insects that can fly and have interesting colors. They can fly skillfully and quickly so it is said to be the fastest flying insect compared to other flying insects. The beauty of the dragonfly's shape and color make artists become interested so that it is expressed in the form of artwork. The shape of dragonflies with varied color patterns and of course very interesting, expressed in the form of paintings, jewelry, and other interesting souvenirs.

               There are two groups of dragonflies, dragonflies and damseflies which can be distinguished, one of them is from the shape of the body where the dragonflies is bigger than the damseflies. Both of them are predatory insects so that their presence on a farm and plantation benefits farmers. Dragonflies eat other insects, including those that become pests in agriculture and plantations. Even in their nymfa form they are ferociously preying on insects and other organisms.

               In Bali, dragonflies can still be found in several habitats including in rice fields. Dragonflies that are found from the results of research Suartini and Sudatri (2019) in rice fields are kembara dragonflies whose scientific name is Pantala flavescens. Kembara dragonflies has a reddish yellow body color. The other dragonflies are sambar hijau dragonflies whose scientific name is Orthetrum sabina. The sambar hijau dragonflies has a yellowish green intermittent alternating with a black line. The color is beautiful and attractive but the sambar hijau dragonflies is a ferocious predator. They prey on plant hopper, aphids, butterflies, bees and others so that their presence in rice fields actually benefits the farmers.

               Dragonflies actually become friends of farmers because they are predators of agricultural pest insects and can still be found even though the dragonfly population is now decreasing. Comparisons based on experience about 30 years ago and now are very different. At that time, there were still many dragonflies from several species of flying, including in the rice fields and even arrested for side dishes. But now dragonflies are not as much as they used to, maybe because of changes in environmental conditions one of which is due to the use of synthetic pesticides that affect water quality.

               Dragonflies are indeed flying insects but in their life cycle they need water. Rice fields are one of the habitats where in the early days of planting rice, when rice fields were flooded as a place to lay eggs for dragonflies to nymfa. And along with increasing age of rice so many insects on rice plants that can be eaten by dragonflies. But with the use of pesticides will affect the quality of water in the rice fields and possibly it will affect the development of dragonflies so that fewer dragonflies are found in rice fields.

               Considering the role of dragonflies as predators in the ecosystem is very important, it is necessary to maintain their existence. Maintaining environmental conditions to remain natural and reducing the use of chemicals will maintain the life cycle. One step that can be done is to reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals and go to organic farming slowly so that it can provide a good environment for the development of dragonflies and other organisms.