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Fun (but True) Dragonfly Facts
Dragonflies aren't really dragons, and they aren't really flies, either! How much do you know about these pond-dwelling creatures? Learn all about the history of the dragonfly, its remarkable anatomy, the stages of its life cycle, and more.
Dazzling Dragonfly Facts From History
Baltic amber containing part of an ancient fossilized dragonfly
When you see a dragonfly, you're looking at one of the oldest creatures on Earth! But how did these sticklike bugs get their name, and what did they used to look like?
Dragonflies Are Older Than Dinosaurs
The earliest dinosaur fossils date back 240 million years. But can you believe that dragonfly fossils have been found to be even older than that? Paleontologists place the earliest known dragonflies more than 300 million years ago, long before dinosaurs ruled the Earth.
Prehistoric Dragonflies Were as Big as Crows
The dragonflies of the prehistoric era weren't only old — they were enormous! Some dragonfly fossils have a 30-inch wingspan, which is about as big as a modern crow. Today, the largest dragonflies (Petalura ingentissima) have a 6.3-inch wingspan and are found in Australia.
Dragonflies Were Named for the Devil's Horse
Dragonflies don't really look like dragons, so how did they get their name? The answer comes from Romanian folklore and the story of St. George. In the myth, the Devil turned St. George's horse into a huge insect. That earned dragonflies the Romanian name for "Devil's Horse." Since the Romanian word drac means both "Devil" and "dragon," the insect soon became "dragonfly."
There Are More Than 5,000 Species of Dragonflies Today
If you live in North America, you've had the chance to see 450 species of dragonflies — but there are thousands more. Currently, there are over 5,000 species of dragonflies in the order Odonata.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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