A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Dragonfly

I love dragonflies and just wanted to share this picture I got of one while camping at Yosemite this summer. They are amazing to me just like butterflies. And until this summer I had no idea they only live for 24 hours. Wow!

Quite nice! I have just started photographing insects this year and haven't been able to get many Dragonflies or damselflies yet. I got a picture of a male Ebony Jewelwing. I am mainly a bird researcher and photographer.

wow that's a great pic! I didn't know that they only live 24 hours! ok dumb question but do they grow from a baby to and adult and everything in just 24 hours? ok that was a REALLY dumb question!! lol

Actually they spring, full-grown adults, from the tears of dragons, hence the name, "Dragon Fly"

i like that thornius

A little poetic license and TOTAL scientific inaccuracy. LOL

Life expectancy.
The average life expectancy of the adult odonate depends on the part of the world in which it lives. Generally speaking, in temperate zones the largest portion of an odonate's lifetime, which may amount to several years, is spent in the larval stage while the adult phase is one or two months. In species common to the tropics and subtropics, however, larval development may be reduced to a few months and the adult stage may last a full year.

In temperate zones, adult odonates that survive the vulnerable period between commencement of emergence and successful maiden flight, have an average life expectancy of 4-6 weeks (dragonflies) or 1-2 weeks (damselflies).

Wow great photo I like dragon flies also, but know nothing about them.