I noticed this impressive insect hitching a ride on the van as I got ready to leave this morning. With a nice four inch wingspan, I doubt he really needed transportation. He was probably just taking a break.
You need some dragonfly trivia, don’t you? Here you go, mostly from the Smithsonian magazine.
- Dragonflies eat hundreds of mosquitos each day. That’s why they are always welcome in my yard. They are effective hunters, catching ninety-five percent of their prey.
- Dragonflies can fly straight up and down and backwards at up to thirty-five miles per hour. They can hover, too, so they can even mate in midair.
- Adult dragonflies only live a few weeks or possibly a month. Maybe that’s why I don’t see them around very often.
- With lens-covered spherical eyes on top of their body, dragonflies have 360-degree vision.
- Fossil records of prehistoric dragonflies show some species to have two-foot wingspans!
Their size always startles me, but dragonflies are no threat and nice to have around.
Waite for it... 