Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-03

preclated Insect.
One Of the most beautiful and bene-
iicial insects of the summer season, and
one whose services are least appre-
ciated by the agriculturist, is the COM
mon dragon-ay. There are many va
rieties, comprising an extensive and
beautiful group of large-sized insects,
rivaling our butterflies in gracefulness
Of form and brilliancy Of coloring,
while they excel them in rapidity Of
flight. Various popular names have
been given them in different countries.
The French call them "Demoiselles,"
the Germans "Gauze Flies" and "Yir-
gins of the Water" while among the
English they are known as dragon
Flies" "Horse StingerS," and devils
Darning Needles" " The first of the
English names is very appropriate to
the character of the fy for, among
other insects, it fully earns its title OF
dragon" 1t is not "horse singer"
however, can neither bite, sting nor
poison, and as a "devirs darning-
needle does not sew up the mouths of
those children who are given to ro-
mancing. They are perfectly harmless
to man, and can be handled without
danger.
The dragon fly belongs to the order
'Neuropteran and the family "Libellu-
lid@.' They have six legs and four
wings, in average specimens the body
attains the length of an inch and a
half or two inches. They are almost
universally dressed in the gayest col
ors. The body is variousIy banded
with rich shades of blue, green and vel
low, and the wings give off the most
beautiful iridescent and metallic reflec-
tions. The substance of the wings is p
delicate network, covered by a thin,
transparent membrane, combining
great strength with lightness, which en-
ables it to fly and dart upon its prey
with the greatest rapidity. The long
tail, or needle" undoubtedly acts as
arudder to steady its flight. The large
head is provided with two enormous
compound eyes, composed of many
thousand facets, and their great power
OF vision is still further increased by
three simple eyes or ocelli, on the upper
portion of the head. The mouth is
quite formidable structure. The up
per lip is broad, and conceals powerful
toothed mandibles, and there are other
organs of the mouth armed with strong
teeth which enable it to rend and mas
ticate its food
The natural term of life of the dragon
fly is about one year. Most of its ex-
istence is passed in the water in the
condition Of larva or pupa, and it in
habits the air only three or four weeks.
When about to complete its final trans
formation the pupa climbs up some
suitable place near the surface of the
water, attaches itself firmly to some OBJ
iect, and in n short time the skin opens
along the back, and from the rent there
soon appears the perfect dragon fly,
who, after drying his moist wings,
trusts his untried pinions with the full
est confidence TO the new element, in
which he lives but few short summer
days.
Tennyson beautifully describes these
changes in the 1.-Two Voices:
"To-day saw the dragon fly
Come from the wells where he did lio
An Inner impulse rent the veil
VI MS Old musk; from head 70 tail
Uamo out clear plates of sapphire mail.
lie dried his wings; like galze thcy grew;
Through orpfts aud pastures wet with dow
living Hash of light he How
During its existence of three or four
weeks above the waters its whole life is
a continued good to man, 1t hawks
over pools and through gardens, deci-
mating swarlns of mosquitoes, flies,
gnats and other baneful insects Their
rapid flight and enormous range Of Wis
ion enable them to capture these insects
with ease. They destroy multitudes of
moths and millers whose larvae are iniu-
rious to vegetation, while they do not
iniure any product of the agriculturist
themselves. A few of them smut into a
house would soon rid it of flies, bugs
and mosquitoes. They are perfectly
harmless, and can be handled with i'm
punity, and are an interesting subject
for study, as there still remains much
TO be learned Of their natural history.
The dragon fly is widely distributed
over all parts of the globe, but few.
however, exceed in size or beauty those
OF our own country,-COr Worcester
Mass J SDU.