No other insect (other than the butterfly) is as appreciated for its’ beauty as the dragonfly. They are the oldest flying insect extant, giving them their distinctive and primordial appearance. They emerged around 300 million years ago, and once grew so large they had a two-foot wingspan. Unlike the butterfly, who is kind of the hippie of the insect world, the dragonfly is a cold calculating hitman.
Like a World War II pilot, they appear from seemingly nowhere, (twelve o’clock high!) fully zeroed in on their target, and attack. Their unique flying ability is one of the keys to their skill as a predator. The dragonfly’s two sets of wings, which can work together or independently, is their secret weapon. Flying forwards, backwards, sideways, or even upside down, at speeds of up to thirty miles an hour, (they can also hover for a minute if need be) they snatch their unsuspecting prey in midflight.
They will tear off the apprehended bug’s wings with their mighty mandibles (though they’re not strong enough to bite a human) and then often eat the rest of the insect on the fly, so to speak. The next order of business is to continue to look for more victims to feed their voracious appetite. They are as hungry as a teenage boy.<.p>
With a view to spotting their next meal, the Dragonflies’ eyes (which are basically their head except for the mouth) can see acutely in all directions. It’s believed they have the best eyesight of the insect world, which is a good thing as they cannot smell or hear much of anything. Once found, they lock in on the target and launch themselves like a missile, their eyes never wavering from their prey. Luckily for us they like to eat the insects we dislike the most, such as mosquitoes and flies. They also rarely miss their intended snack, having a 95% capture and devour rate. Making them the envy of all the predators in the animal kingdom.
The Dragonfly is surely a water sign as every aspect of their lives happens in or around it. They lay their eggs in water and after hatching spend up to two years in the larval form, known as nymphs. Even as a nymph they are carnivorous, eating anything moving, which is smaller (including fish) than they are. Underwater they are as speedy and dangerous as they will become later when flying. Expelling water from their rectum, they jet out at their unsuspicious (notice a pattern) victim, devouring them before they know what hit them.
They will shed their skin (growing with each molt) as many as fifteen times before emerging at night from the water and becoming an adult dragonfly. Unfortunately, as an adult they usually only live a few months. Spending the little time afforded them in as many different ways, as there are dragonfly species. Some fiercely guard their territory while others can fly across oceans. And all the males have a gorgeous luminous color to their bodies. They use this to attract the admiration of female dragonflies as well as humans. Unfortunately, it also has a tendency to attract hungry birds.
Luckily for all of us, dragonflies exist everywhere in the world except Antarctica. However, the warmer the better in most cases. When our pond started to grow orange Canna Lilies we began to entice Neon Skimmers. They look like they are wearing the bright orange vests road crews wear and they are about three times the size of the normal blue and green dragonflies which inhabit our yard. And of course, their uniqueness and exquisiteness is why Dragonflies are depicted by all cultures from the Egyptians to the Pueblos. The Art Nouveau period being particularly infatuated with them. Just remember as you admire the magnificence that these delicate and refined looking creatures possess; what they would do to you if you were a mosquito. Not that I mind what they do to mosquitoes.