Delicate Dragonflies

I don’t know what fascinates me so much about them, whether it’s their lacy iridescent wings, or the way they dart so quickly from place to place, but I love dragonflies.  Maybe it's because they are one of the oldest creatures on earth, having been around some 300 million years, but yet have very short lifespans in the form we know so well. Sometimes I see them in my yard visiting the butterfly bushes.  Since doing the research for this post, I’ve realized it’s all the OTHER bugs that are attracted to the fragrant blooms they’re interested in, not the flowers themselves. One showed up while I was hanging clothes on the line, landed on my shirt, and rested a bit.  I considered it a gift and a privilege, perhaps because in its short lifetime it decided to spend a few seconds of it with me.  The other day I saw one hovering over my car in a grocery store parking lot.  I saw it again when I came back out with my groceries and wondered what would attract a dragonfly to a huge cement space full of cars.  I’m still not sure of the answer to that one as dragonflies are usually found around water because that’s where they lay their eggs.

The order Odonata includes both dragonflies and damselflies.  Dragonflies are of the suborder Anisoptera, and are important members of the insect world because they eat mosquitoes (they’re not nicknamed ‘mosquito hawks’ for nothing) and other biting insects that carry diseases. They also eat flies, other small insects, damselflies and sometimes even other dragonflies. Dragonflies spend the majority of their life in their larval stage, which can last anywhere between a few months up to five years.  The lifespan of a full adult is only a few months. Because the larvae depend on good water quality, they are good indicators of a healthy ecosystem. And speaking of darting, did you know a dragonfly can fly in six directions?  Up, down, forward, backward, and side to side.  Their wings can also move independently of each other.  There are over 2,800 species of dragonflies worldwide.  Here are a few:

 Roseate Skimmer, Source: Wikipedia

Azure Hawker, Source: British Dragonfly Society

Orange-winged Dropwing, Source: Wikipedia

Calico Pennant, Source:  Bugguide.net

Broad-bodied Chaser, Source: Wikipedia

In some European cultures dragonflies are often considered a bad omen.  I much prefer the Japanese traditions where dragonflies are seen as a symbol of renewal, strength, courage, and happiness.