Dragonflies

This image was taken last month on a walk through Inniswood Gardens. What an interesting insect and one I know very little about. After downloading this image I began to wonder what their role was in the cycle of life? So, as most of us do nowadays, I “Googled-it” and found some cool stuff. Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitoes (yea), and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, and butterflies. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as “nymphs”, are aquatic. Even though dragonflies possess 6 legs like any other insect, they are not capable of walking. In some cultures they are a source of food, considered a delicacy. They have various symbolism in cultures. For some Native American tribes they represent swiftness and activity, and for the Navajo they symbolize pure water. Vietnamese people have a traditional way to forecast rain by seeing dragonflies. In Japan dragonflies symbolize “martial success,” due to similarity in the sound of the word “dragonfly” and “victory” in Japanese. And, here I thought it was a cool insect to photograph, if it would only stop long enough.