Dragonflies galore at the arrival of spring

One of the great things about spring, especially after having good winter rains, is the abundance of wildlife and plants that appear. At present we are being treated to an astonishing array of numbers and types of dragonflies. They are fast-flying insects with a long, thin body, two pairs of clear, veined wings, and huge eyes that cover most of its head. They are expert aerial hunters that catch mosquitoes and other small flying bugs. The recent boom of dragonflies across northeast Victoria is driven by the ideal conditions of sustained high rainfall, a sudden surge in food supplies, and seasonal temperature triggers that have accelerated their life cycle. Good rainfall has left NE Victoria's rivers, creeks, farm dams, and floodplains completely full, providing the aquatic habitats they need to lay eggs and grow. These conditions have triggered an explosion of mosquitoes and other small insects across Victorian waterways because mosquitoes are a primary food source, adult dragonflies have plentiful food. The sudden warm start to the season has also warmed up shallow waterways, ponds, and wetlands. This temperature spike signals thousands of hidden aquatic nymphs to metamorphose and grow wings all at once, creating highly visible "swarms" of adults rather than a gradual emergence. Dragonfly reproduction involves a unique aerial courtship, a specialized "mating wheel" as shown in photo, and egg-laying in or near fresh water. After emerging from eggs they emerge in a larval or nymph stage, AKA mudeyes, where they spend most of their life cycle, lasting anywhere from a few months to several years. Nymphs sit quietly on the wetland bottom or aquatic plants waiting for prey to wander close. Dragonfly nymphs are ferocious predators that eat almost any moving organism smaller than themselves, ranging from mosquito larvae to small fish. The nymph finally emerges at night or early morning and crawls out of the water onto a vertical plant stem, reed, or rock. Transforming into a dragonfly as its exoskeleton dries and split. It is wonderful to just watch the dragonflies on our waterways, wetlands, dams and ponds at present as they show their incredible aerobatic prowess and speed. Make the most of this wonderful natural phenomenon if you can.

Dragonflies galore at the arrival of spring

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