Dragonfly Discovery!
- Destiny May
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
This Week’s Bug of the Week June 29th-July 5th
Have you ever seen a shiny dragonfly zipping over a pond or lake? They may look small, but dragonflies are some of the coolest insects on Earth. They’ve been around for a very long time and are amazing hunters. Let’s explore four fun facts about these fascinating insects.
Fact 1: Dragonflies Are Ancient. Dragonflies have been around for more than 300 million years. That means they lived long before dinosaurs walked the Earth. Long ago, dragonflies were much bigger than the ones we see today. Some had wings that stretched over 2 feet wide—almost as tall as a small child. Imagine seeing one of those flying in your backyard.
Fact 2: Where Do Dragonflies Live?Dragonflies live on every continent except Antarctica. They love places with fresh water, such as ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, and marshes. Baby dragonflies live underwater for most of their lives before becoming flying adults. If you live near water, you might be able to spot one.
Fact 3: What Do Dragonflies Eat?Dragonflies are excellent hunters. They eat tiny insects like mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and small moths. They catch their food while flying through the air. Because they eat mosquitoes, dragonflies help keep pesky bugs under control.
Fact 4: Dragonflies Have Incredible Eyes Dragonflies have some of the biggest eyes in the insect world. Each eye is made up of thousands of tiny lenses, which helps them see almost all the way around their bodies. This amazing vision helps them find food, avoid danger, and fly without crashing. Some dragonflies can fly forward, backward, up, down, and even hover like a helicopter.
Watch and Learn
As you watch a dragonfly video, think about these questions:
Where did you see the dragonfly?
What colors did you notice?
Did it land anywhere?
Did you see it catch any insects?
How did it move through the air?
Dragonfly Nature ChallengeThis week, become a dragonfly detective. Visit a pond, lake, nature trail, wetland, or park with water. If you spot a dragonfly, watch it quietly for a few minutes.What color was it?How many did you see?Was it flying or resting?What was it doing?
Remember: look, don’t catch. Dragonflies are important helpers in nature.
Drawing Prompt Draw your own dragonfly. Include four colorful wings, big eyes, and a long, skinny body. Add a pond, flowers, or plants around it. Then imagine what a giant dragonfly from 300 million years ago might look like and draw that too.
Did You Know? A dragonfly starts its life underwater as a baby called a nymph. It can live underwater for months or even years before climbing out and transforming into the flying dragonfly we see in the air.
Happy bug hunting.
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