Dragonflies are found all over the earth,
Tiny little eggs they are before birth.
They hatch out of eggs under the water,
And prefer to live somewhere where it is hotter.
Depending on species, a dragonfly baby,
Can be a larva for two years, maybe.
Up to five thousand species roam about,
Beautiful colours and patterns no doubt.
With so much variety they’re not all the same,
But the dragonfly name they all take and claim.
Six legs, a thorax, abdomen and head,
Four wings, two sets, they open and spread.
Their large eyes are made up of thousands of smaller eyes,
Giving the dragonfly greater ability as it spies.

Dragonflies hunt around water to eat,
Catching the insects with their feet.
Dragonflies are carnivores eating insects,
Flying along, they can devour their subjects.
Their favourites are mosquitoes, eating hundreds a day,
Watching for predators along the way.
Many things can target them as their prey,
Even a dragonfly that is bigger than they.
They can fly quite fast, thirty miles per hour,
Speed as well as great steering power.
They can fly forwards and side to side,
They can even go backwards in their glide.
Much like a helicopter in the sky,
Is how a dragonfly does fly.
Dragonflies to humans do not cause harm,
They cannot sting or bite your arm.

The dragonfly is a beautiful, colourful insect,
Very much deserving of respect.
With so many around why not oding try,
A hobby of watching the dragonfly.
In some cultures a dragonfly that lands on your head,
Brings good luck, or so it is said.
Dragonflies make the world a more beautiful place,
Filling it with colour and grace.

Poem by Sourcherry
Photographs from Pixabay