Dragonflies are not a pesky insect! On the contrary, they devour insect pests, eating hundreds of mosquitoes, biting flies and gnats a day. Bring on the Mosquito Hawks!

This is an amazing insect. They are among the fastest and most agile of flying insects. They can hover motionless, fly upside down or backwards, and change tack in a blink.

Nearly all of a dragonfly’s head is eye – their enormous, compound eyes allow for nearly 360 degree vision. They locate, chase, catch and eat insects on the wing, grabbing their prey with their feet. They are deadly hunters (if you’re an insect), catching up to 95% of their prey every time.

They begin life in an aquatic larval stage and are an important food source for larger aquatic animals such as fish. The dragonfly larvae require clean water – just like us – and their presence indicates a healthy water supply.

Dragonflies do not bite or sting humans. But if you lived 320 million years ago, you might duck if you saw one coming as the ancient dragonflies had a wingspan of 24 inches – wow! two feet!

And that’s not all that’s amazing about dragonflies. To learn more fascinating facts, pick up some identification tips, and ask all your dragonfly questions, join Friends volunteers Corinne Errico and Paul Lauber on Sunday, July 10 at 1:30 pm for a fascinating program called Behold the Dragonfly! This will be a hybrid program, both in-person in the Pavilion at the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center and virtually on Zoom. Registration is required for both. Sign up here.