Dragonflies spend most of their lives under water. Depending on the species they can live for a few months or a few years.
An adult dragonfly can fly in six directions: up, down, left, right, forward and back.
They eat mosquitoes and are therefore some of the most wonderful insects around.
There are a few myths, from long ago, that say dragonflies sew up the mouths and eyes of misbehaving children and people who curse.
Japan was once known as Akitsushima, which means “Land of the Dragonflies”.
Dragonflies flew around dinosaurs. Check out how big they were.
Although dragonflies have six legs, they can’t walk.
Some legends say that Dragonfly was once a Dragon but was tricked by Coyote into taking on the form of a fly.
Dragonflies are also called Horse Stingers even though they don’t have the ability to sting.
Like frogs, the presence of dragonflies can be an indicator of how healthy an ecosystem is.
I believe that when a dragonfly crosses your path, it’s a sign of good things to come.
Sources:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly
Pond Doc’s World: http://www.ponddoc.com/WhatsUpDoc/WildLife/HorseStingers.htm
Tree of Life Web Project: http://tolweb.org/Odonata/8266
British Dragonfly Society: http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk
Planet Deb: http://www.planetdeb.net/spirit/dragonfly.htm