Words from a Dragonfly

There are about 3,000 known species of dragonflies in existence today.  Most are tropical but some species live in temperate regions around the world.  Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations all over the world.

Egg, larva or nymph, and adult are the three stages in the life-cycle of all dragonflies. Female dragonflies lay eggs in or near water.  The eggs hatch into nymphs and most dragonflies only spend a few weeks as adults.  They only reproduce at one point in their lives.  During the mating process, both males and females may try to mate more than once.

A DragonFly is a flying insect belonging to the order Odonata. Odon is the Greek word for tooth but dragonflies don’t have true teeth.  Instead they have extremely large, strong mandibles with sharply-pointed tooth-like serrations, similar to a serrated knife.  Dragonflies don’t have a stinger, so they won’t sting you but they could bite you.  They aren’t an aggressive insect, but they can bite out of self-defence when they feel threatened.

Dragonflies are found in almost every habitat, but especially near water.  They are cold-blooded creatures, so the best time of day to spot them is whenever it is sunny and warm and the dragonflies are most active.  Dragonflies can drink from rain droplets on leaves or directly from water bodies.  On a hot day, dragonflies sometimes adjust their body temperatures by skimming over a water surface and briefly touching it.  They often do this three times in quick succession.  This may keep them from drying out. 

Dragonflies are considered beneficial to humans.  Dragonflies are predators in the insect world and feed on many small-to-medium-sized bugs.  Dragonflies make our outdoor experience more enjoyable.  They reduce those annoying mosquitoes by eating 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes a day.  Adult dragonflies will eat any insect they can catch. They usually eat mosquitoes and midges, but they also eat butterflies, moths, bees, flies and even other dragonflies. Larger dragonflies eat their own body weight in harmful insects on a daily basis.  

Dragonflies are extremely agile and can catch their prey in midair.  They are incredibly aerodynamic because they have a unique two-wing design.  Dragonflies can fly in any direction similar to a helicopter.  They can make 360 degree turns, can hover in one place and can even fly backward.  

Dragonflies can’t see as well in the dark as they can in bright sunlight.  Flying at night would risk injury or being caught by an unnoticed predator.  Flying at night would waste their energy and because their insect prey is active primarily during the day, dragonflies don’t fly during the night. 

Dragonflies serve as food for many aquatic species and amphibians, birds, and even mammals.  Fish, frogs, newts, and other larger aquatic creatures eat the dragonfly nymphs. Adult dragonflies are food for birds, lizards, bats and spiders.  

Dragonflies are attracted by colourful blooms, as well as plants with leaves and stems that can act as perches. Unlike many other insects, they do not damage crops or spread diseases. Dragonflies are harmless to humans. Swarming dragonflies could be responding to a high mosquito population. It is best to let dragonflies be.  They eat up pests and they are fun to watch while they do it.  Enjoy their striking colours and watch their dazzling aerial displays. 

Here are the Dragonfly sayings on the bookmark I found at the BC Wildlife Park gift shop.

Advice from a DragonFly by True Nature.

• Spend Time Near the Water

• Be Colourful

• Enjoy a good reed

• Zoom in on your dreams

• Appreciate Long Summer Days

• Keep Your Eyes Open

• Just Wing it!

Here is what each saying made me think of.

• Spend Time Near the Water - Yes, I have enjoyed a swim each day this summer in my pool.  In fact a dragonfly came to visit while I was having a swim one day.

• Be Colourful - the wings on the butterfly as so colourful - spread some colour to brighten up your day

• Enjoy a good reed - enjoy reading a book - maybe grab a copy of my Travelling Tuesdays book

• Zoom in on your dreams - focus and follow your dreams

• Appreciate Long Summer Days - this summer has been lovely. It’s been sunny everyday and I have been able to enjoy a swim in our pool each day

• Keep Your Eyes Open - look for the wonderful things around you

• Just Wing it! - sometimes we have to go with the moment and enjoy the experience, don’t spend so much time planning, take action and try something new!

Have a great day everyone! 

 # living life abundantly   # published author  #  travelling tuesdays