The Dragonfly - A Creature of Legend

Anyone who has gone fishing on a warm summer day in Wisconsin has likely seen a dragonfly or two. Very often, as I have been fishing, a dragonfly will land right on the tip of my fishing pole to rest its wings. Theyre kind-a perty in an ugly kind-a way, is the way I would describe them.

Dragonflies are found nearly all over the world with over 5,000 different species. There are around 450 types of dragonflies in North America alone. Dragonfly adults are fairly large insects. They actually found a fossilized dragonfly with a wingspan of 28 inches. We can be thankful that todays dragonflies are considerably smaller.

Adult Dragonflies are brightly colored and have a long slender abdomen. They also have two pairs of long, slender, transparent wings with net-like veins quite visible. The wings do not fold up as with most insects, but instead they are held outstretched even when at rest. Adults are normally found near a water source but are very good fliers and can travel for miles. They are active during the warm daylight hours, and can often be seen hunting for food and even mating.

Males are territorial, defending their homelands from other males. Immature dragonflies are called nymphs (or naiads). Nymphs live entirely under water....and hide among submerged vegetation at the bottom of ponds and marshes. Both the young and adult stages are predatory - the nymphs feeding on mosquito larvae in the water and adult dragonflies feeding on adult mosquit ...