The Monday Dragon and Damsel Report - The Local Singles Bar

It seems I've been familiar with dragonflies and damselflies all my life. They are very common during the summer where I was raised. I always knew they were normally closely associated with water sources such as ponds, streams, and lakes, but that one could often see them some distance from an evident source of water. As I have watched the dragonflies and damselflies during this summer I have learned a lot about their habits and life cycles through observation and research. Some of what I learned is very specific to dragons and damsels, but much applies to the broader base of our natural environment.

I have taken to looking for dragonflies in other places nearby. I've checked around ponds and lakes and other water sources, but I was a bit surprised when I didn't find nearly as many dragons and damsels as I expected. Only one place of the several I visited came close to having as many dragons and damsels as our little pond. Eventually I figured out what I think is the basic explanation.

Just like all living creatures dragons and damsels have specific requirements to complete their life cycle. By chance of design and the seasonal weather our little pond just happens to provide most of the requirements better than some of the others I visited. Comparing it to the pond across the road is a perfect example.

Both ponds were built around the same time, but there are obvious differences due to the lay of the land, water sources, design, and normal recurring maintenance around the pond. One would think, however, that being so close they would have somewhat similar populations of dragons and damsels. Such is not the case. Our pond has probably 20 times as many dragonflies and a much wider variety. Why? It's because of procreation.

The pond across the road was beautifully designed and is well maintained. It is kept clear of most vegetation around the perimeter except at the head of the pond (the shallow end). Grass grows right up to the edge of the pond and is kept trimmed. There are two important factors though. The water level in the pond remains much more consistent and along the edges the drop off into the pond is much more steep. As a result there is little in the way of plants such as tall grasses growing at the edge of the pond in shallow water. Plus, the lack of a variety of trees and bushes directly around the pond means less plant matter such as leaves will fall into the pond and eventually float to the sides.

Our pond is different. All around the pond the banks slope down into the pond more gradually. Also, the water level fluctuates much more widely throughout the year. This gives plants around the edge of the pond a chance to grow at certain times of the year only to be covered up later when the winter rains raise the water level. Plus, we get much wider variety of plant matter falling into the pond and eventually drifting to accumulate along the edges.

Most dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs in water primarily in or near vegetation. Dragons and damsels typically spend the greatest portion of their life in the water in the form of naiads which may go through several molts prior to emerging as the dragons and damsels we see. During their time in the water they need a variety of vegetation and plant material in which to hunt for prey and also to hide from predators.

Evidently we have more dragonflies because male dragonflies hang out around the primary breeding grounds waiting for females to show up. The pond provides not only a good supply of various insects they need to feed on, but also a preferred spot to lay eggs. I guess our little pond is like the local dragonfly singles bar, honeymoon suite, maternity hospital, nursery, and food market all rolled into one.

Let's raise a toast to bio-diversity and the importance of even the smallest ecosystems which give us creatures such as this.