Out of all the less annoying insects, the dragonfly may just be the prettiest. It is almost seen near water and its blue-green coloring makes it all the prettier to look at. But looks are not all there is to the dragonfly, so to help fill you, here are few facts about this marvelous creature.
Number Fifteen: The Dragonfly Has Been Here For Quite Awhile
Like humans can trace their ancestries back generations, there is evidence to show that the dragonfly has been around since the dinosaurs were on earth. And like now, they were always in the air hunting for food.
Number Fourteen: They Don’t Live On Just Land
While sitting by ponds or lakes, a dragonfly is hard not to see. The reason for this is they can actually live in water. Female dragonflies will lay their eggs on the surface of water and the larvae will eventually hatch there.
Number Thirteen: Making It To Adulthood Is Not Always Good
For humans, entering into adulthood is another chapter in our books. For dragonflies, this is often their last chapter. Almost 90 percent of adult dragonflies will be eaten. This often happens during a teenage dragonfly (nymph) molting for the last time. The process can take up to an hour which does not offer much shelter for the insects.
Number Twelve: They Have Fantastic Eyesight
Noting that a dragonflies head is made up of its eyes, it makes sense that these insects have extremely good vision. Their eyes give them nearly 360 degree vision and just one eye can contain 30,000 lenses. 80 percent of the dragonflies brain also computes all this visual information.
Number Eleven: Males Do Not Like Competition
Boys will be boys, no matter what the species apparently! Male dragonflies will compete over females through various ways. Some will claim and defend territory while others will try and find the perfect egg laying spot.
Number Ten: They May Move Locations
Dragonflies do not necessarily need to migrate but some do. They will relocate due to weather conditions or low habitat resources and they will do this by themselves or in large groups depending on the situation.
Number Nine: Mother Nature Has Less Of An Effect On Them
Unlike other animals, dragonflies do not rely on mother nature’s weather to make themselves comfortable. These insects are capable of something called thermoregulation, where they will fire up their wings to keep themselves warm or others will position their bodies to soak up as much sun as they can. Stay tuned for our second article on dragonflies coming soon!