By: Kristel Usener
Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners
This month’s bug is the Dragonfly. Dragonflies are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Odonata. I wanted to learn more about these amazing insects because there recently has been an increased population in my garden.
There are about 3,000 known species of dragonflies and most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions such as the Big Country. An adult dragonfly is easily recognized by its pair of large, multifaceted, compound eyes, two pairs of transparent wings and an elongated body.
Dragonflies are predatory insects, as adults they can intercept their prey midair. Dragon flies have an extremely high success rate when hunting, and many sources I found claimed a 97% success rate. Dragonflies can fly in any direction, including sideways and backward and even hover in one spot for a minute or more. This is all due to the dragonflies having two sets of wings and the muscles in their thorax that allow them to work each wing independently.
Dragonflies lay their eggs in water, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae live underwater for up to two years. There are even some environmental conditions and areas, in which the larval state can last up to five years. There is even a species of dragonfly, like the seaside dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenicei) that can lay their eggs in saltwater. Dragonfly adults live as long as 10 weeks. Dragonflies live on every continent except Antarctica, they are everywhere!
As I am sure you have seen, dragonflies come in so many different colors and many look iridescent. They are quite beautiful insects and are very beneficial to us humas. They help us by controlling the populations of pest insects, such as mosquitoes and biting flies. One dragonfly can eat anywhere from 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bdmgtx.org for more information on all Big County Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
