Have you ever seen dragonflies swarming around your house and wondered why they behave the way they do? Although they are some of nature’s most beautiful and fascinating insects, the sight of a swarm can be a little disconcerting, but rest assured, they are harmless. Here are the reasons why dragonflies sometimes form swarms, and some other useful information about them.
Dragonflies or damnation?
According to Hunker, dragonflies and damselflies look the same when they swarm, but you have to watch them at rest to tell the difference. Dragonflies have wings that are perpendicular to the body, while dragonflies themselves have wings that are parallel. The head and body of the dragonfly are 2 to 3 inches long, with a wingspan of 4 to 4.5 inches. Dragonflies also have ridges in their jaws that resemble teeth, making them exceptional predators of other insects. Dragonflies lay their eggs in the water and sometimes on plants that grow near water. When the nymphs hatch, they spend the first two years of their lives swimming in the water and growing. Between May and July the nymphs metamorphose into adults. The life expectancy of an adult dragonfly is two to four weeks.
Why are they digging?
Dragonflies are always looking for food. They feed on their favourite insects, mosquitoes. If you have mosquitoes near your home, the likely cause of their swarming is to eliminate the mosquito swarm and remove the mosquitoes from outside your home. Dragonflies also eat a variety of flies. When they are in a feeding mood, they swarm out to devour all the flying pests in your home. This makes the dragonfly one of the most useful swarming insects. Dragonflies also swarm during their migrations. If you see dragonflies swarming to your house, they’re probably greener because they’re the only species that observes these migrations. These insects migrate to move from one mosquito-infested area to another because they are the preferred food source of the insects. If you can get close enough to see which species are swarming and which are not, they are more likely to stay in place and your home will be free of flying pests.
Studies of dragonfly swarms
Christine Goforth is an insect expert who studies their weapons habits, according to Wbur.org. She confirms that dragonflies thrive when they feed on small insects. She has seen swarms of small groups of dragonflies numbering tens or millions, as well as billions of dragonflies in larger swarms. The largest swarms are probably migrating dragonfly species that interrupt their journey to feed on swarms of mosquitoes or other small insects. If you see large groups, they are more likely to leave, as opposed to small groups that are not migratory in nature. Goforth confirmed that some of the massive swarms observed in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana were so large that they were detected by some weather radars. Massive swarms of dragonflies are most often observed in the fall. She started the dragonfly swarm project to learn more about these useful and beautiful insects. She learned about their behavior and how they swarm, as well as the benefits they bring to the environment. Further research by Goforth aims to learn more about the impact of climate change on dragonfly swarms, if any. Early data suggest that dragonflies tend to move when weather conditions affect regions. For example, hurricanes leave behind flooded and swampy areas that are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This creates a hiding place for feeding dragonflies. They tend to migrate south after they have swarmed into areas recently flooded by standing water.
Reasons why dragonflies are advancing.
The nature of the bay confirms Goforth’s research that dragonflies gather in groups to feed on swarming insects. They also believe that swarm nights are indirectly related to the weather. Nature Bay adds that dragonflies are most active on warm days, when temperatures reach or exceed 63 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the minimum temperature required to stimulate their activity.
The myth of disclosure
Some believe that dragonflies swarm during mating rituals. That’s really not the case. Males usually wait for the female to pass before mating. However, it does not happen in swarms. The coloration of males and females is very light in some species, while others are characterized by brightly colored males that shade the females. In addition, the lighter colors of the facial patterns distinguish males from females, making it possible to distinguish females from males when looking for a suitable mate.
Final thoughts
Dragonflies are among the most beautiful and useful insects in nature. It is fascinating to watch them fly on warm summer evenings and see their antennae. If you see them swarming around your home, it’s a sign that they are there to feed. The benefit is that they clear the air of potentially dangerous mosquito swarms. At a time when mosquitoes can transmit countless diseases, it’s good to see dragonflies chasing them away. All of our sources agree that the most common reason dragonfly swarms exist is because they feed on flying pests and save you the nuisance they cause. The next time you see dragonflies buzzing around your house, sit back and enjoy the show because they are doing you and your family a valuable service. The only way to attract them is to offer them food. The absence of dragonflies probably indicates that the area where your house is located does not offer a wide variety of small insects.
frequently asked questions
What causes dragonfly swarms?
Dragonfly swarms are large groups of dragonflies that typically feed on small insects for foraging, said Goforth, director of citizen science at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. So there can be tens, millions, even billions of dragonflies flying together in these large groups.
What attracts dragonflies to the garden?
Languages
What is the sign of the dragonfly?
In almost all parts of the world, the dragonfly symbolizes change and transformation from the perspective of self-realization; and these changes are rooted in spiritual and emotional maturity and understanding of the deeper meaning of life.
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