This month I thought I’d write about some of my favorite insects – dragonflies and their smaller, more delicate cousins – damselflies. They belong to the order Odonata which means ‘teeth’. Members of this order have a three-phase life cycle. Eggs are laid underwater. The eggs hatch into nymphs which look nothing like the adults. These nymphs prey on underwater insects and larva. As they grow they must molt or shed their exoskeletons up to 15 times. With each molt (instar) they gain more features of their adult bodies.
For the final molt, the nymph crawls out of the water. Once it emerges, it’s wings and shell must harden before it is able to fly. Although the length of time spent in the nymph stage varies per species from a few weeks to a year, most Odonata adults only survive for a few weeks, enough time to produce the next generation of flying jewels.
Members of the order come in literally every color of the rainbow plus a few others including pink, black, and white. Often, dragonfly and damselfly bodies are metallic with iridescent wings.
Dragonflies have been around since prehistoric times. Although they have evolved in some ways, their body type has changed very little. The largest ones had a wingspan of over 30 inches. While these larger species are all extinct, the fossils they left behind date back more than 350 million years and have been found across the world. Currently, there are over 6,400 species known worldwide. The Ohio Odonata Society has found 111different species in Portage County which is 64% of the species found in the entire Buckeye State.
Dragonflies and damselflies have a feature unique to the insect world. Both groups can maneuver all four wings independently. This gives them the ability to fly both forwards and backwards. They can also move side to side and hover in one spot. The independent wing control makes them agile flyers, all the better to avoid predators and catch their prey. They are the fastest flying insects known to man, able to sustain flight at 24 mph for long periods. They can reach 36 mph for short bursts. That means they could outsprint a housecat and keep up with a soaring bald eagle.
The best way to tell the two groups apart is their wing position. Dragonflies hold their wings perpendicular to their body while at rest and damselflies hold their wings straight back parallel with their body.
Members of Order Odonata eat other flying insects including mosquitoes. As they fly they form their barbed legs into a basket shape to catch and contain their meal. They will consume smaller prey while in flight. Larger prey is consumed after landing. Because of their diet and the fact that they spend the majority of their lives underwater, dragonflies and damselflies are often found around bodies of water. However, adult dragonflies will frequent meadows and yards where the grass is a haven for insects. They can be an effective form of natural pest control each consuming hundreds of insects per day. If you’d like to attract Dragonflies to your yard or garden follow these steps:
If possible create a water feature containing aquatic plants. Even a simple water feature will attract other wildlife to your space like frogs which also eat harmful insects.
Plant native grasses and pollinator friendly plants which offer perching spots and mimic a dragonfly’s natural habitat.
Maintain open spaces which allow for more maneuverability while hunting and sunlight which is necessary to dry their wings and provide heat.
Add some soft lighting to your space. In addition to ambiance, the lights attract nocturnal insects which attract dragonflies (and frogs.)
Provide perching sticks which are protected from the wind and give dragonflies a good vantage point for hunting.
Most importantly of all, avoid pesticides which don’t differentiate between the harmful and the beneficial. Not only can natural pest control like dragonflies be more effective than chemicals long term, they are also better for the planet and the humans who live here.