dragonflies

These are some of my favourites. I used to get them in my garden at
Oregon in all colors, … blue, green, orange-red ….
They fold their legs together like a basket and can catch several
mosquitoes in the ‘basket’ at once. I used to put thin bamboo
sticks in the garden at random for a perch for them.

This past summer (such as it was) I had the honor of observing these
strange critters that crawl out of the lake and onto the shore by the
million. They clung to benches, rocks, campfires,
bushes and everything and then I started to look at them more closely and
What happened? ‘Bugs Opened’ and Wet Weird Look
longer bug crawled out of the shell. I looked a little more and
the wings unfolded and dried and with a little movement they dried
more and it turned into a beautiful (HUGE) dragonfly. This miracle was
happening everywhere and soon, when the day had warmed,
there were millions and thousands of 6-9 inch greenish dragonflies
taking to the air and they were landing on me and my friends. Was
very cool.

Dragonflies are just one of the few types of creatures that feed on
mosquitoes, and for that, humans should be thankful. in this and
other ways, dragonflies play an important role in maintaining the
balance of biodiversity in the coastal ecosystem.

In existence for the last 280-380 million years, dragonflies are
some of the oldest insects that exist. The first dragonflies that
existed were much larger than current species, having a
wingspan reaching 35 inches. Today, the wingspan of dragonflies rarely
exceed 10 inches, however these insects can still reach speeds
19 miles per hour. In addition to two elongated wings,
Dragonflies are equipped with six legs, although they are rarely
used for walking. Their abdomen is elongated and they have large
heads, short antennae, and sensitive eyes to help dragonflies in
find your prey.

As predators, adult dragonflies feed on flying insects, such as
mosquitoes they catch on their wings, either flying around
or sitting stationary. Dragonflies are unique because they are
carnivorous, eating other insects in abundance. not uncommon
hear of a dragonfly that fills its mouth with up to a hundred
mosquitoes at once! Known as the “mosquito hawk”, dragonflies
may be our best defense against a world overpopulated with such
annoying blood-sucking pests. Some believe that as an alternative
to the current method of using dangerous insecticides to control the
mosquito population (as San Pedro does), perhaps the dragonflies should
be cultivated and released. In various areas of the world, this has
has proven to be an effective method to ensure the balance of
biodiversity, while keeping mosquito populations at bay, and
That is a very good thing.

Dragonflies are among the brightest jewels in the world.
entomological world. And the most successful: its genetic pattern.
is ancient, as revealed by the time-stained footprints of its
wings and gigantic bodies fossilized hundreds of millions of years
back. Approximately 400-500 species are known in the United States,
New species are described every year. its color and
behavior have excited many professional and amateur entomologists,
but unlike butterflies and beetles, dragonfly colors rarely retain
good in a collection The insect so bright in life is reduced in
a museum to a boring caricature of itself. recent conservation
protocols using acetone have increased sample quality and gone a long way
in maintaining the original color. However, no technique other than
photography works entirely to capture color, and nothing else
has been able to preserve eye color.

Dragonflies are among the oldest living creatures. Fossil
records, clearly recognizable as the ancestors of our present
odonata, date back to Carboniferous times, which means that the
insects flew more than 300 million years ago, before
dinosaurs more than 100 million years ago and birds about 150 million.
It would be tragic if, after surviving such unimaginable numbers
years, it should be our generation that witnesses a serious
decline of these fascinating and beautiful insects.

Odonates develop in water and, to protect them, it is
necessary to study the exact habitat requirements of each individual
species and then protect, conserve and, where possible, increase
the number of suitable habitats. The habitat requirements of some
species are narrow and these are obviously the ones most in
risk. Other species species are catholic in their needs and
they survive in almost any type of water, some are even water tolerant
that’s salty. Most fall between these extremes, some
which require running water, some still, and some bogs and swamps.

Unfortunately, the right sites are disappearing faster than the new ones.
formed and, until that trend is reversed, there is a continuing cause
of concern. The rivers are polluted; ponds are allowed to be converted
clogged with debris and week; the marsh is drained to satisfy the
increasing demand for roads and houses; Primeval forests are
disappearing and, with them, the mountain streams that contain some
of the most interesting and primitive species in the world.

The important questions are: how can we make sure that there is no more odonate?
Habitats disappear? and how can we encourage the propagation of species
that they are not at such serious risk? Here are some answers:

You can dig small ponds in our gardens or backyards, the largest in
our school playgrounds and even larger ones in various types of
open space. It won’t be long before dragonflies and damselflies
begin to colonize them, since many species easily discover new
habitats

Farmers and other landowners can be urged to preserve their
hedgerows and small woods where the adults take refuge in bad weather, and to
keep ponds and other water on their land free of effluents. lakes
and ponds should not be allowed to fill with reeds or
other aquatic plants, nor the hanging branches of trees should be
totally allowed to block the sun.

You can join or, if necessary, establish a local conservation group.
volunteers The help provided by these groups can be tremendously
gratifying.