The title of this article comes from the idea that the military is using these insects as the study organism for new government drones. With nearly 360 degree vision, they can spot prey almost anywhere, and their wings allow them to turn on a dime to catch it. These insects are considered apex predators because of how they hunt.
Dragonflies and their closely related cousins, Damselflies, are some of the oldest living insects on our planet. Their ancestors lived during the Carboniferous Period (approximately 300 million years ago)! This ancient order of insects had wingspans over 2 feet long and were some of the largest creatures at the time. Lucky for us Earth's atmosphere changed, causing them to shrink over time and become the size we love today.
Most people in America, and other countries, appreciate seeing Dragonflies in their backyard mainly since they eat mosquitoes, but also because they are truly beautiful. Many believe that having a Dragonfly land on them is a sign of good luck. Some Native American tribes see them as a sign of purity and activity. Purity stems from the fact that they indicate healthy waters when found, activity comes with how often these insects can be seen flying around as adults.
You can find Dragonflies just about anywhere there is good, clean water. Some species prefer moving water with sandy bottoms, and others like still water with heavy vegetation around the shoreline. The habitat preferences depend on how their young (called naiads) will obtain food. All naiads are ambush-style predators, some with bury themselves in the sediment, and others will hide in the vegetation until their prey is close enough. Their prey includes aquatic insects, small/larval fishes, and even other dragonflies! Dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater in the naiad stage, some as long as 5 years! When it is time to emerge, the young crawl out of the water onto a sturdy surface and begin metamorphosis. Unlike other insects that go through metamorphosis (Butterflies, Moths, etc.), Dragonflies have incomplete metamorphosis, because they do not have a pupal stage. Once they have fully emerged, the new adults will dry their wings by holding onto their old "shell."
The Dragonfly pictured in this article is a Stillwater Clubtail (Arigomphus lentulus). It belongs to the family Gomphidae, which contains roughly 900 species found on 5 continents! The common names for Gomphidae are clubtails or club-tailed Dragonflies. Lure imitations of these clubtails make for an excellent bait choice when out fishing during the summer months. If you can make it look and move like an injured Dragonfly in the right spot, you're guaranteed to hook-up!
There is a pretty easy and fun process that allows you to help these incredible insects in your backyard. You can construct a small pond or water feature deep enough not to completely freeze during the winter. Provide some native vegetation where they can lay their eggs and emerge later on. This would act as habitat for the Dragonflies and keep other small insects around to be food for the naiads. By doing this you would have free and beautiful mosquito repellent all summer long. So, take the time to do some quick and easy research to enjoy the wonderful benefits ahead!
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