If you’ve ever been near water in the summer, you’ve probably seen a dragonfly. These fascinating insects come in all sorts of colors, like red, pink, and even purple! Despite their different looks, dragonflies have a lot in common.
First of all, dragonflies aren’t dragons at all! They are strong and fast, but they won’t hurt you. Even though their long bodies might look like they have a stinger, they don’t sting. Dragonflies are insects, just like bees, ants, and ladybugs. This means they have six legs and three main parts of their body.
A dragonfly’s life begins in an egg. Some dragonflies lay their eggs in plants near water, while others lay them directly in the water. About a week later, baby dragonflies, called nymphs, are born. These nymphs live in the water and breathe using gills, which are located in a surprising place—their butt! Imagine if humans breathed that way!
Nymphs can also squirt water from their backsides to move quickly, especially when escaping predators. They stay as nymphs for about a year, but some can remain in this stage for up to five years. During this time, they grow bigger until they are ready to become adults. When the time comes, they climb out of the water, and their outer shell splits open to reveal an adult dragonfly.
Adult dragonflies have something nymphs don’t—wings! They have four strong wings that allow them to fly across oceans. Dragonflies are incredibly fast, reaching speeds of about 50 kilometers or 30 miles per hour, as fast as a car on the street! They can hover in one spot and even fly backward.
Dragonflies are not only amazing fliers but also excellent hunters. They use their flying skills and sharp eyesight to catch smaller insects, tadpoles, and even small fish. To keep up their energy for flying, they need to eat a lot. If you ate as much as a dragonfly, you’d have to eat about eight boxes of pasta every day!
Some dragonflies are quite big and make a buzzing sound as they fly, which might seem a little scary. But there’s no need to be afraid—they won’t hurt you. Dragonflies don’t sting people, and the buzzing sound is just their wings moving as they fly.
Dragonflies play an important role in nature. They eat insects that people often find annoying, like gnats and mosquitoes. By eating these pests, dragonflies help keep their numbers down, which is a good thing for us.
So, the next time you see a dragonfly, remember to say thanks for all the good work they do!
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Dragonfly Observation Journal: Spend some time outside near a pond or garden and try to spot dragonflies. Use a notebook to draw the dragonflies you see and write down their colors and what they are doing. Are they flying fast, hovering, or resting? Share your observations with a friend or family member and discuss what you learned about dragonflies from watching them.
Dragonfly Life Cycle Craft: Create a simple craft to show the life cycle of a dragonfly. Use colored paper, scissors, and glue to make the different stages: egg, nymph, and adult dragonfly. Arrange them in order on a piece of cardboard or paper. As you make your craft, think about how each stage is different and what the dragonfly needs to live at each stage.
Dragonfly Role Play: Pretend to be a dragonfly! Use your arms as wings and practice flying around like a dragonfly. Can you hover in one spot or fly backward? Imagine you are hunting for food like a dragonfly. What insects would you catch? Talk about why dragonflies are important and how they help people by eating pests like mosquitoes.
