American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-18
About Dragon Flies.

IL q recent number of the Massachusetts,
Ploughnaan (Boston) the editor, when al
luding to "1nsect Friends of the tillers
of the soil, states that it is well for every
reader to remember that the dragon
flies" generally are all our friends and
ought to be preserved and petted rather
than hunted down and killed, as they too
often sre. The eggs of dragon flies are
laid near the surface of water, where they
hatch, not into winged insects like the
parent but into oddly shaped animals,
which are chiefly remarkable for their
masked mouth and the power of moving
by means of a jet of water expelled from
the tail. They pass most of their lives
during the larve stage in crawling about
upon the bottom and feeding upon other
aquatic insects and even small fish. After
some months they become full grown, hav-
ing changed their skin many times when
they are in the pupa state, appearing with
short wing cases. After emerging from
the water they cling firmly to some stone
or other substance q few inches above the
surface, and, the skin on tie back split
ting open, the insect slowly disengages
itself and works its way out, having now
wings and other organs like its parent.
At first their wings are moist and crum-
pied, but In a few hours become expanded
and hardened, and the brilliant colors
D ooAAy OcCOmC oppdi Cub AE
Odonata comprises all the ay-fiying in
sects commonly called "devil's darning-
needless" dragon flies" or "horse-s sting
ers," and mosquito hawks" These are
again divided into tribes, sub-families and
genera; the first tribe, Agrionina from a
Greek work meaning wild or savage), is
largely represented in Massachusetts. 1t
contains the more slender-bodied insects
known as "darning-needles," and distin-
guished by their short, broad heads, with
distant eyes and four jointed short
pering brIstles situated between the
eyes. The genus Catoptsyyz from kdtos,
beautiful, and Pteryr, wing, is appro-
priately named and contains some of our
handsomest Species The body is gener
ally of shining, brassy green, or blush
color, and the wings broadest toward the
apex and finely veined. The females OF
this genus have an oval, whitish spot on
the interior margin OF each wing near the
tip, which is called the pterostignaa, or
wing mark This is found throughout the
Od0natG, and Is of greatvalue in identified
ton, being of various forms and colors in
different species, and not generally con-
fined to one sex as in the present case.
The order Neuropfera, or nerve-winged
insects, consists almost entirely of insect
ivorous species, and is specially to be re
88A0o0 ~ IIlcuQiy u tuc IdliutE. J. t
"dragon flies" or "devil's needless are to
be seen during the whole summer swiftly
darling and circling through the air, seiz
ing and devouring the moths and butter
hies that cross their path. In passing q
pool or brook the sharp rattle of tiieii
Thin, crisp wings strikes the ear and calls
the attention TO the sportive flight of these
terrible destroyers. Moths and butter.,ie-
laden with eggs, that venture from the Sc
curity of the foliage to wing their slug
gish flight to some appropriate place to ue
posit their burden, are quickly snapped
up by the wafchful dragon fly, vino tears
of the lean and useless wings and makes
, rich repzst on the plump body of his vic
Dim. Il would be perhaps considered un- |
To advert here to the childish |
tradition of the terrific effects of the |
dragon fly on the human system. namely. |
its alleged powers of sewing up the ey e.
md OF singing men and animals, were il |
not that an immense amount OF ignorance
ret exists concerning some of the most
sommon objects OF nature. With regard |
o the useIul and graceful creatures OF
his group we should rather consider them |
y benefactors, knowing that they are in
capable Of injuring ourselves or our do
nestle animals, and that their powerful |
and sharp claws are only terri
Die to our enemies, the moths and butter
Ges.-N. r. Herald.