If you’re the type of person that likes to know the meaning behind life’s occurrences, then you aren’t alone.
Numerous people like to be aware of the meaning of certain things that happen, especially if they don’t happen often.
If you’ve ever been visited by a dragonfly, you may wonder what this means.
If a dragonfly visits you, it’s a positive sign and can signify that you’re being sent a message telling you to live your life to the fullest and reach all your goals.
Dragonflies signify good luck, prosperity, fortune, and harmony, all of which point to an abundant future.
Here are some additional facts about dragonflies and their significance in the world.
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Do dragonflies attack people?
Dragonflies do not attack people without provocation, but if one of these insects feels threatened, it will bite, so it’s best not to bother them.
Dragonflies aren’t poisonous, so if you happen to be bitten by one, you don’t have to worry about becoming ill or dying.
Most of the time, the bite of a dragonfly won’t even break the skin, so you likely wouldn’t experience much pain if you were bitten by one.
Do dragonflies have teeth or stingers?
Dragonflies do not have stingers or teeth, but they do have very strong jaws and two sharp mandibles that are able to act as teeth.
These large insects use their mandibles to chew their prey, and their bites can feel as if they have teeth even though they don’t.
People have given dragonflies nicknames like “Horse-Stinger and The Devil’s Darning Needle,” which wrongly leads people to believe that dragonflies sting, bite, or are evil.
What do dragonflies eat?
Young and adult dragonflies’ diets consist of live insects, and if you see a dragonfly near your home and you have a mosquito problem, that’s good because they love gobbling up mosquitos.
If you see more than one dragonfly near your home – especially if you have mosquitoes – this is great, as it will likely get rid of your mosquito problem sooner.
In addition to mosquitos, dragonflies will eat bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, and even other dragonflies.
Should a person be afraid if a dragonfly lands on them?
No, a person should not be afraid if a dragonfly lands on them, because as long as the person remains calm and does not cause the insect to believe it’s in danger, it won’t bite.
People should actually consider themselves lucky if a dragonfly lands on them because it’s simply acting as a messenger to bring you good luck and prosperity.
A dragonfly landing on you could also signify that you need to change your life in a positive way or look at it from a different perspective.
How fast can dragonflies fly?
Dragonflies can fly incredibly fast, often topping speeds at 34 mph.
Due to their speed as well as their agility, dragonflies often catch their food midair, before the other insect even realizes what happened.
Dragonflies’ ability to fly at such rapid speeds also enables them to escape birds and other larger flying creatures that may want to eat them for dinner.
Why are some people afraid of dragonflies?
Some people dislike and/or are afraid of insects, and due to the fact that dragonflies can grow to be quite large, they can appear pretty intimidating and scary.
Ancient Romanians believed that the devil would soon cross the lake if a dragonfly was recently seen flying nearby.
This is how the nickname “Devil’s Horse” originated because Romanians reportedly saw a dragonfly just prior to a visit with the devil.
How many different types of dragonflies are there?
Dragonflies belong to the order of Odonata, and in Greek, this means “toothed one,” which doesn’t make sense, because dragonflies don’t actually have teeth.
There are over 5,000 species of dragonflies, all of which belong to the order of Odonata.
Some dragonfly species are smaller or larger than others, and there are many other minor differences, although there are more similarities between the various species.
What is the lifespan of a dragonfly?
The lifespan of a dragonfly varies somewhat depending on the species, as some only live for a few weeks, while others can live up to a year or even longer.
There have even been instances in which dragonflies have lived for as long as five years, but this is extremely rare.
If a dragonfly’s wings become injured and it’s unable to fly, it will die of starvation because they only feast on insects that they can catch in mid-air.
Can a person have a dragonfly as a pet?
Having a dragonfly as a pet isn’t a very practical idea because of a dragonfly’s lifestyle.
Again, dragonflies fly very fast, and they only eat food that they’re able to catch midair, so if you had a dragonfly as a pet, you would have some challenges to overcome.
First of all, how would you feed it, and secondly, how would you keep it in one place and keep it from flying away?
What color are dragonflies?
Similar to butterflies, dragonflies come in many different colors, like red, blue, purple, black, orange, and more, and their colors can help them to camouflage themselves, which helps to protect them from prey.
The color of a dragonfly will also depend on its age, gender, and body parts, as males and females have distinctly different colors.
This drastic difference in the colors of male and female dragonflies helps them to differentiate between each gender for mating purposes.
How long have dragonflies been in existence?
Dragonflies are ancient insects that have been around for 300 million years, and they have evolved significantly over time.
Scientists have been studying these interesting insects for years, and during some of their investigations, it was discovered that dragonflies were once gargantuan compared to the size they are now.
The wings of a dragonfly once spanned several feet in length, compared to the 4–6 inches that their wings currently measure.
How many eyes do dragonflies have?
Although dragonflies only have two eyes, these eyes are extremely large compounds that house thousands of lenses.
The abundance of lenses is what enables a dragonfly to have such sharp vision.
Dragonflies can see 360 degrees, which certainly helps when they need to catch their dinner midair.
Do people eat dragonflies?
Like many insects, dragonflies are often consumed by people, and in Indonesia, they’re considered to be a delicious treat.
As long as you remove their legs and wings, you can eat dragonflies, as they have plenty of protein and other nutrients.
It’s not even necessary to cook the insects before consuming them, but many people like roasting them, covering them with chocolate, and even sauteing them with vegetables.
What are some other interesting facts about dragonflies?
In addition to their pincer-like mandible, incredible eyes, and impressive flying speeds, what else is there to know about dragonflies?
While dragonflies are still young, they breathe out of gills that are located in their anuses.
Another interesting fact about dragonflies is that their four wings are able to function independently, meaning that their wings can move in different directions simultaneously.
Why did people in Europe once believe that dragonflies were evil?
Years ago, there were rumors across Europe that depicted dragonflies as being evil. In fact, the Norwegian name for dragonflies translates to “eye poker,” and in Portuguese, it means “eye snatcher.”
This led Europeans to believe that dragonflies were capable of poking or snatching someone’s eyes out, which is why they believed that this graceful insect was evil.
There was also a belief that dragonflies would sew small children’s lips shut as they slept if they were naughty.
But again, if you see a dragonfly visiting your home, there is no reason to panic or be afraid. This large, beautiful insect is likely to bring you good luck and try to relay a message that your life is destined to become more prosperous than it currently is.
As long as you don’t swat a dragonfly away or aggravate it in any other way, it might even use your shoulder as a perch.
Dragonflies are ancient, interesting insects with a great deal of agility and speed, and they can eliminate your need to find other means of mosquito control because they will gladly gulp them up for you.
