Dragonfly

We’ve all seen then flitting about, but there is far more to dragonflies than you might expect. 

Blue dragonfly (Kate Russell)

Members of the Odonata order (“toothed ones”), dragonflies are an ancient breed. Over 300 million years ago, their ancestors had a wingspan of nearly THREE FEET!


Starting out as an egg, dragonfly larva molt 6-15 times, over 2-6 years, before gaining the ability to fly.


Their huge eyes are made up of over 27,000 optical units and over 80% of their brain function is dedicated to analyzing visual information. (How they manage 4 wings at the same time is beyond me!)

​
Voracious feeders, a dragonfly can eat up to 300 mosquitos and flies each day, but gardeners beware! Dragonflies also eat honey bees. It is up to you to decide if they are a beneficial or a pest!