September 18 - Dragonfly

Dragonfly - (Odanata Epiprocta) an insect characterized by large multi-faceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic. Dragonflies typically eat mosquitoes, midges and other small insects like flies, bees and butterflies.

Female dragonflies lay eggs in or near water, often in or on floating or emergent plants. Some species when laying eggs will submerge themselves completely just to lay their eggs in a suitable place. Most of the life of the dragonfly is spent in the larval form, beneath the water surface, using internal gills to breathe. The larvae may live as long as five years for large dragonflies, or two months to three years in smaller species. When the larva is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it climbs up a reed or other emergent plant at night, and when it does the breathing pattern changes inside the larva's body. Then the skin splits at a weak spot behind the head and the adult dragonfly crawls out of its old larval skin, waits for the sun to rise, pumps up its wings and flies off.