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Usually living near water, the dragonfly is one of earth’s creatures that are not only very useful, but also beautiful. They belong to thee insect group Odonata. Dragonflies come in varied colors; their bodies often blue, green, purple, and even bronze. Their wings seem to shimmer as if made of silver, especially when under the moonlight. Starting out life as small nymphs underwater, they grow to be approximately three inches long, with a wingspan averaging two to five inches in width. While this may seem large for an insect, keep in mind that as they have evolved from pre-historic times, they have gotten considerably smaller. Evidence shows that at one point in time they may have had a wingspan of over two ‘feet’! One very interesting fact of the dragonfly is his six legs. Each of the legs is covered in short bristles. Using their bristle-covered legs to form an oval shaped basket allows them to scoop insects, such as mosquitoes, right out of the air. Dragonflies not only eat mosquitoes; they also keep the fly population and other flying insects under control. Surprisingly, dragonflies will spend only a very short part of their life span as actual dragonflies. They will live as nymphs for up to four years, shedding their skin up to fifteen times, yet when they finally mature into adults, the dragonfly stage, they will survive only a few months. Dragonflies have fascinated modern man for years. They have become the basis of both legends and old wives tales. One such old wives tale refers to a dragonfly as a ‘darning needle’. An old legend tells of people who would wake up after falling asleep outside to find their ears and eyes sewn shut by these crafty insects. If dragonflies were seen swarming over a doorway, it was said to foretell of heavy rains on the way. For as long as man and dragonflies have coexisted, people have mistaken dragonflies for fairies. ‘Fairy tales’ have been told of little people fluttering about worldwide. Upon closer inspection, the fairies are found to be groups of dragonflies. Facts about Dragonflies How fast can dragonflies fly? In excess of sixty miles and hour! How many eyes does a dragonfly have? They have two main eyes, but each of these eyes are made up of approximately 20,000 to 25,000 tinier eyes, allowing them to zero in on the flying insects that are their daily meals. How many eggs does a dragonfly lay? Sometimes as many 100,000 at a time. Is a dragonfly a dragonfly? There are nearly 2500 different species of dragonflies. Did you know that if you added together all the people, animals, and plants on earth today, insects, which dragonflies are one of, would still outnumber us! How many sets of wings do dragonflies have? Two! Which are wider? Their back wings are wider than their front wings. When dragonflies are resting, do they close their wings? No, they rest with them open, ready to take flight. Are dragonflies and damselflies the same? No, they have very distinct differences. Damselfly wings are the same size, front and back. How long have dragonflies been around? For over 300 million years. Is it possible to know where dragonflies will be to get a better look at them? Yes, just about any summer evening head to an area that you know will be mosquito heaven. Ponds and other damp areas, or your backyard if you live in an area that mosquitoes frequent, are all places that dragonflies can usually be spotted. Sit quietly, and soon you will see these amazing aerial acrobats darting about as they scoop up their dinner and help keep the pesky mosquito population in control. Dragonflies in their aquatic stage eat many kinds of small animals: aquatic insects, tadpoles, small fish, and other invertebrates. Adult dragonflies eat flying insects, especially mosquitoes and other true flies, but also aphids, smaller dragonflies, damselflies, and just about any other insects they can grab Please come back and visit again!
