Educational Media Reviews Online

The locale for this DVD is Nakamura City, Japan, a small town that has not experienced widespread industrialization. A park called the Dragonfly Kingdom has been established to help preserve the over 50 species of dragonflies endemic to Japan.

The DVD goes into detail about dragonflies’ mating habits, which are highly unusual. Most species form what could be called a heart-shaped circle during sexual union. Once mating has taken place, the female, depending on the species, employs various means to assure maximum protection from predators, including a long ovipositor that can eject eggs well below the water surface. Some species deposit masses of eggs enclosed in a gelatinous substance that swells when contacting the water, attaching itself to vegetation. Some species engage in mutual care and protection of the eggs, unusual behavior for insects.

Dragonflies are particularly sensitive to human incursions into the environment; infilling, drainage and intensive agriculture all destroy dragonfly habitat.

This DVD introduces an interesting topic in a visual light. The science behind the presentation is sound, but the film is basic enough that anyone with a general background in science from high-school level on could profit from viewing it. Recommended.