"Uncovering the Fascinating World of Dragonflies: Surprising Facts You Didn't Know"

Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossil dragonflies have been found with wingspans of up to two feet. Some scientists theorise that high oxygen levels during the Palaeozoic era allowed dragonflies to grow to monster size.

The flight of the dragonfly is so special that it has inspired engineers.

Some adult dragonflies live for only a few weeks while others live up to a year.

Nearly all of the dragonfly’s head is eye, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle except right behind them.

A single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day.

A dragonfly called the globe skinner has the longest migration of any insect—11,000 miles back and forth across the Indian Ocean.

Dragonfly Symbolism

In many cultures, dragonflies hold symbolic meanings. They are often associated with change, transformation, adaptability, and the power of light. Dragonflies are also seen as a symbol of agility, grace, and the ability to see through illusions. In some traditions, they are considered spiritual or magical creatures

Dragonflies are expert fliers. They can fly straight up and down, hover like a helicopter and even mate mid-air. If they can’t fly, they’ll starve because they only eat prey they catch while flying.