Vision: Dragonflies have 360 degrees vision
and nearly 80 percent of the insect's brain is dedicated to its sight!
Dragonflies see faster than we do; they see around 200 images per
second and their vision is thought to be like slow motion for humans.
Predatory skills: Dragonflies are flat-out terrifying
if you're a gnat, mosquito, or other small bug. They don't simply
chase down their prey; they snag them from the air with calculated
aerial ambushes. Dragonflies can judge the speed and trajectory of a
prey target and adjust their flight to intercept prey. They're so
skilled they have up to a 97% success rate when hunting. A
single dragonfly can eat anywhere between 30 and hundreds of
mosquitoes per day.
Flight: There are few species in the animal kingdom
that can compare to the dragonfly's spectacular flying ability. They
can fly straight up and down, hover like a helicopter. If they can’t
fly, they’ll starve because they only eat prey they catch while
flying. They're fast, as well, with some species
reaching a top speed of 18 mph . They're also known for their
feats of endurance. One species called the globe skimmer flies 11,000
miles across an ocean in what's considered the 7 world's longest
insect migration.
Teeth: dragonflies belong to the order Odonata,
meaning "toothed ones," a nod to their serrated mandibles. When
hunting, dragonflies catch prey with their feet, tear off the prey's
wings with their sharp jaws so it can't escape, then scarf the sorry
bug down, all without even needing to land.
Wings: Dragonflies were some of the first winged
insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern
dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossil
dragonflies have been found with wingspans of up to two feet.
Click to see what different cultures think about dragonflies!
