How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden (National Wildlife Federation)
Why Not Create a Dragonfly Garden?
Dragonflies and damselflies, in the order Odonata, are ancient
insects, first appearing in the fossil record more than 250
million years ago. Earlier still, a now-extinct ancestral
group appeared about 325 million years ago. Some of these
dragonflies were huge, boasting wingspans of 30 inches, but
all species in this group went extinct about the time
that dinosaurs first appeared.
Modern dragonflies are much smaller but possess abundant sterling qualities, including beauty at rest and in flight. They also prey on such bothersome insects as mosquitoes and blackflies.
With the right plants, a dragonfly pond can be an ideal home for aerobatic dragonflies, as well as a host
of other invertebrates.
The tall vertical plants such as Wild Rice (Zizania
aquatica),
Blue Flag (Iris versicolor), Narrow-Leaved Cattail (Typha
angustifolia), Arrow Arum (Peltandra virginica),
Common Three-Square Rush (Scirpus americanus),
and Arrowhead (Sagittaria
latifolia) make perfect perches from
which dragonflies can survey their territory and bask in
the sun.
Damselflies
may also be attracted to these plants. To tell the difference between dragonflies
and damselflies, look at
their resting wing positions. Dragonflies' wings extend straight
out to the sides, while the wings of most species of damselflies
are folded back
over
the body of the insect.
Dragonflies may lay eggs underneath Duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) or inside the stems of underwater plants, such as green algae and Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana). After hatching and experiencing an aquatic nymph phase, young dragonflies can emerge from the water by using a plant stem to pull itself out.
