ODANATA

THE TRIP FROM HERE TO THERE

Drifting through the weeds and reeds around the shoreline, you will see dry, crispy dragonflies hanging on stems. These are the skins shed by their nymphs. Wouldn't it be great if we could just unzip our skin and step out all fresh and new like that?

Dragonfly moms lay their eggs underwater, in still water such as our pond. They lay eggs near the end of summer or early autumn in our temperate area. depending upon water temperature, they will hatch in a few days or even winter over and hatch the next spring. It's a darn good thing we don't have to wonder whether our human babies will be born in a few weeks or next year; there would be hordes of women in Baby-on-Board tee shirts going postal all over the world.

The hatched egg becomes a nymph. It remains in the water and goes through numerous stages, each time molting and leaving little suits of armor for me to collect and keep in a box. Yes, my inner ten-year-old boy does do that. This process can take up to 3-4 years.

When a full-fledged dragonfly finally emerges, its wings are very soft. Then a fluid flows out through the "veins" in the wings, stiffening them for flight. The fluid dries up. Those hardened veins remain, making the wings look like stained glass windows. 

The new dragon will spend a few weeks maturing and improving the intensity of its colors.

Since they live only a few months after maturing, they get right down to the business at hand: making more dragonflies.And they are not at all bashful–they mate while flying around in public. There are mating dragons and damsels on every surface in and around the pond.

For heaven's sake, you guys--get a room!

It's not easy to identify dragon- and damselflies. They vary by gender and stage of development. 

A pond bursting with dragonflies is better than a fireworks display. Some types fly really high, some skim the water surface. Some are skittish, some curious. They fly forward at amazing speeds-above the speed limit in town. They fly backwards and sideways.  They dip down for a sip of pond water on the fly. A dragonfly often stops right in front of you and stares. They can hover in one spot.

So, no, dragonflies do not sew your lips shut. But they do eat a ton of mosquitoes, so remember to thank them for serving the country. 

Mating dragonflies not paying attention to an approaching snapping turtle

To watch an amazing video about the dragonfly life cycle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezq_JWd1Sd8

(If you get the general bug site, click on dragonflies in the right-hand column.)