Dragonfly

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

Photo of blue dragonfly seen in Virginia by Kate Russell

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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!)

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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!