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Dragonfly

Dragonflies have been around for millions of years, long before dinosaurs walked the Earth. Their long narrow bodies support delicate transparent wings that rest out to the sides of their body. Dragonfly nymphs live in the water where eggs were laid. Some nymphs spend as long as five years in the water before emerging. They are an important link in the food chain for many fish. When they mature, they emerge and climb to places such as rocks to molt and spread their newly formed body. This can take several hours and many newly formed adults are killed during this early stage of their adulthood. Adult dragonflies consume mosquitos and other small insects. Male adults find a high perch and guard their area from other invading males. Females fly lower to the ground. Dragonflies have extremely good eyesight. Their large eyes take up almost their entire head, giving them nearly a 360-degree field of view.