September 26, 1991 - The World's Most Perfect InsectC8 The Suffolk Times • September 26, 1991
The World's Most Perfect Insect
By Paul Stoutenburgh
Last night we heard something on the
screen door while we were reading.
Upon investigating we found a huge
green dragonfly. This was an unusual
time and place to find a dragonfly, so
we caught it in a wide -mouth jar and
put it in the refrigerator to cool down
and photograph later. This is an
excellent way to photograph insects like
butterflies and others that won't stand
still for you when you focus on them.
You have to act fairly quickly because
as they warm up in the sun their wings
start to move and they'll soon be off.
Those of you who live among trees
and in other shaded areas don't have the
advantage of seeing these flashing bits
of color as those who live beside open
fields or alongside ponds or marshes. It
is in these places the dragonfly "hawks"
for mosquitoes, gnats, flies and other
insects that move about. No wonder
these "darning needles" are so praised by
those who know them. Not only is
there pure joy in just seeing them but
they are one of the most useful elimina-
tors of noxious insects we have. Put
these facts all together, along with the
fact that they are truly harmless to hu-
mans, and you have the perfect insect.
It was once told in old wives' tales
that daming needles sewed up children's
ears. Thank goodness those dark ages
have passed. Today we find more and
more people enjoying these truly re-
markable insects. They are one of na-
ture's fastest fliers. Like the humming-
bird, they have mastered flight so they
can maneuver in all directions,
V
r r
F I All
Focus on
Nature
including a hovering position in space
while they check the landscape through
their huge eyes for a meal of
mosquitoes or other pesky insects.
Not Meant for Walking
Up close one would think the dragon-
fly would do a fairly good job of walk-
ing for its bristly legs seem strong
enough. But, no, their legs are not
meant for walking. They are meant for
grasping onto blades of grass or other
plant parts while they rest. The legs
also do an important job in holding in-
sects caught in midair. Besides the darn-
ing needle that is usually a large and
powerful flier, there are the smaller
damselflies that are much slenderer and
weaker fliers. The easy way to separate
these colorful, long- bodied hawkers is
by looking at them at rest. The big -bod-
ied dragonfly holds its double transpar-
ent wings outstretched, while the deli-
cate damselfly holds its wings folded
over its back, like a butterfly at rest.
Both lay their eggs on or under the
water of freshwater ponds or slow -mov-
ing streams. Here the young hatch and
spend a year or two, or more, in this
underwater stage, groping through the
ooze of the pond for anything that
moves, including the pesky mosquito
larva. While they are beneath the water,
they breathe like fish and do not have to
surface like so many other semiaquatic
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DRAGONFLY—These colorful fast - fliers live mostly on mosquitoes,
gnats, flies and other flying insects. They alter their flight up or down,
forward or reverse and can seem to stand still in space.
insects. At this stage they are quite
gross in appearance and make a
formidable predator, but like other
things in the food chain they, too, are
eaten by fish, wading birds, etc. The
last days of this nymph stage are spent
climbing up out of the water onto a
stem or branch. Here they shed their old
casing and become the beautifully col-
ored dragon- or damselfly.
Seen Up Close
It's when they move out of their wa-
tery environment that we usually are
conscious of them. I remember
canoeing with my granddaughter, Sara,
this summer down the Peconic River,
when a damselfly lit on her hand. How
excited she was as she watched the
slender, iridescent -blue creature resting
before her. Of course, there are dangers
to everything in the natural world and a
quick -flying bird could very well snatch
up our damselfly just as easily as it
might any other insect that happened to
pass by.
I'm told these fast -flying "mosquito
hawks" sometimes prey on the bees of
beehives. Yet I've never seen any
hanging around my hives. They are
daytime hunters and where I find them
most is in the protected areas of the
pasture where they can hunt out of the
wind. Of course, we always see them
down around the pond. It seems these
hunters each have their own special air
space, the most powerful flying high
and foraging farther away while the
weaker damselflies stay close at hand
where they can hunt in the relatively
tranquil areas.
One can see why these are called drag-
onflies because up close they are a
formidable - looking creature with an eye
that takes up almost all of the head and
a lip that covers halfway up the face and
can be extended out to nip insects in
midflight. To help with this incredible
maneuver, the hairy legs then act as a
basket to help catch and hold the prey.
Yet with all of its formidable looks, its
flight and color seem to charm all who
see it. Often when you see these color-
ful creatures flying about you'll see
some in tandem. This is their mating
posture and it's here that the aerialists
of the next generation are conceived.
And so for those who cannot stand
any kind of insect, the dragon- and dam-
selflies should be the exceptions.
Beauty and color, grace in flight, useful
in all stages, harmless to people and
with no bad habits. This makes it the
perfect insect. It's an insect of the
poets. It's an insect we should all
appreciate and know.
The Suffolk Times
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