Tags

, , , , ,


dragonfly emerging from its former self

Image via Wikipedia

Perhaps you will not find facts about dragonflies so very interesting and I hereby beg your pardon for taking the liberty of imagining you will.

However!  As I was researching a bit for my Dragonfly Days post, I discovered some really nifty facts that didn’t fall into the information I needed.  So, here I am, with all kinds of new-found knowledge about dragonflies and no really good use for it.

What better way to share than to write a blog post!  I know that dragonflies are everywhere these days, so here are some pieces of trivia to think about as you watch these lovely jewels zoom around your backyard…

      • Dragonflies are the fastest recorded insects.  Claims have been made that one was clocked at 60+ m/p/h.  However, average speed for dragonflies is 20-34 m/p/h.  Fast enough.
      • Dragonflies have an internal temperature of as high as 110 degrees F.  Wow!  They cannot fly until their bodies reach a certain temperature and must be careful not to overheat in hot climates.
      • Dragonflies can bite a human finger!  Won’t happen often.  In fact, it’s far more likely that you will be bitten by a dragonfly nymph.  The nymph has powerful jaws that are capable of eating small fish and tadpoles.
      • In Japan, dragonflies are symbols of courage, strength and happiness.  European lore considers dragonflies as evil.  In Indonesia, dragonflies are caught on sticks and fried as a delicacy!
      • Belong to the order Odonata.  Hobbyists are called oders.

Great resources for further research into dragonflies:

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly#cite_note-3
          http://www.mndragonfly.org/behavior.html

http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/ponds/79043-dragonfly-behavior.html