The Year of the Dragonfly: Our Most Useful Insect on the River

For those living close to the water, dragonflies are a ever-present reminder of an ancient past. They fly tirelessly across the land and water, occasionally landing on a twig, a piece of driftwood, maybe even you. There is no need to fear a bite or sting. You will most likely not even feel tiny feet that disappear as soon as you move. And there are many reasons to welcome such a visitor.

A living piece of history, the dragonfly has been found in fossils from the days of dinosaurs, perhaps even before. It has an unfavorable reputation in European history, being called names like "devil's darning needle" and "troll's spindle". They were seen as sinister in the old world Western civilization and perceived as being harmful, perhaps because of their shape and fearsome jaws. East Asian and Native American views on the insect are kinder, however, and more accurate. They are honored by the Navajo as a symbol for pure water, and by the Japanese as a symbol of courage. Individuals have branded themselves with its likeness in permanent ink and associate it with swiftness, freedom, wisdom, and change, among other things. The life cycle of the dragonfly includes a metamorphosis, somewhat like the butterfly. But while the caterpillar usually makes it's living decimating crops, the ravenous dragonfly nymph devours large amounts of pesky insects and other prey.

A dragonfly will spend most of its life as a larva, eating other larva, such as mosquitoes, but the larger ones may consume prey as large as tadpoles and small fish. The larval stage may last up to five years or more, and takes place under the water. The last molt will complete the transformation of the waterbound larva to an adult that spends the rest of its life flying through the air. They fly forward at speeds of over 30 miles per hour, but are also capable of flying backward or hovering in one place. They feed in the air, primarily on blood-thirsty mosquitoes and midges. And they mate in the air, completing their life purpose and bringing more pest-eating dragonflies into the world.

When speaking of dragonflies, we must not forget their slower, slimmer sisters, the damselflies. Both are of the order Odonata, both are carnivorous eaters, and they both have similar life cycles. The damselfly is often referred to as a "snake doctor" as they land on snakes in the water (folklore has them protecting the snakes and helping them find food, though this is not documented in science.) It has a very thin, tubular abdomen; long, thin wings; and it's eyes are on the sides of its head, rather than close together as they are on the dragon. But both have great eyesight, short antennae, and are often very brightly colored.

Survivors of a distant past, and contenders for a hopeful future, dragonflies remain with us in a rainbow of colors, metallic and pearlesque, zooming across the water and land, occasionally stopping to rest. May they always have their place among the noble predators of our Earth.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida.html
Miller, P. (1987). Dragonflies (Naturalists' Handbooks No7). Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd. Slough England