National Dragonfly Day
These ethereal creatures, with their shimmering wings and graceful flight, add a touch of magic to the world.
The dragonfly is an often-underappreciated insect that not only has fascinating features, but whose presence also typically means cutting down on the local insect population – by eating hundreds of mosquitoes each day. Call attention and bring awareness to one of the earth’s most aerodynamic insects with the celebration of National Dragonfly Day!
History of National Dragonfly Day
This interesting insect has an ancient history that may date all the way back to 300 million years ago. Much smaller today than they used to be, some scientists have discovered fossils of dragonflies with wings that span up to three feet wide, perhaps even having been as large as modern day eagles!
Today’s version of these creatures feature buzzy wings and five eyes – two enormous compound eyes and three smaller ones – that allow them to see in virtually every direction. Dragonflies also have wings that come in all sorts of colors of the rainbow, many of which are iridescent and clear. When in flight, these insects display an incredible beauty and grace that also allows them to function as fast-paced predators of other smaller insects.
National Dragonfly Day was founded to show appreciation for and celebrate these nimble, brilliant creatures!
How to Celebrate National Dragonfly Day
Show some love and appreciation for this beautiful and incredible creature of flight by celebrating National Dragonfly Day with some of these fun ideas:
Experience Dragonflies
Some people can literally find dragonflies in their backyards while others might need to go further afield, to a nature preserve, to get more connected with these creatures. In honor of National Dragonfly Day, do a little online search to find out which local parks, green spaces and natural habitats draw them, such as freshwater spaces like rivers, canals, lakes, and ponds. Then, head out on an adventure that includes trying to spot and count dragonflies!
Learn Fun Facts About Dragonflies
Get the whole family involved with National Dragonfly Day by getting informed and educated about this fascinating creature. Teachers and parents can help their children celebrate by learning some of these fun facts. Adults can garner attention by sharing these bits of trivia on social media in honor of the day:
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Dragonflies can be traced back as ancient creatures, but today there are more than 5,000 species of dragonflies, with 450 that are present in North America
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While their bite wouldn’t be dangerous for humans (but might pinch!), dragonflies have sharp mandibles on their jaws that are used for tearing and devouring their prey
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Dragonflies are the fastest flying insect in the world, reaching speeds up to 35 miles an hour in some cases
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Not only are they fast, dragonflies have amazing control over their flight with the ability to fly backward, perform loop-de-loops, make 360 degree turns and more
Enjoy Dragonfly Activities
Kids can get involved with National Dragonfly Day by engaging with crafts, art projects, coloring pages, games and so much more. Help them remember their search or sighting of dragonflies by encouraging them to write a story (fiction or nonfiction) about the hunt for or discovery of a dragonfly.
