The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-12-07
An Unappreclated Insect,

n correspondent VI NC WOTCSsJci
(Mass.) Spy says about the curious
insect popularity known as the devils
darning needle:
One Of the most beautiful and beneh-
cial insects of the summer season, and
one whose services are least appreciat-
ed by the agriculturist, is the common
dragon fly. There are many varieties,
comprising an extensive and beautiful
group of large-sized insects, rivaling
our butterflies in gracefulness of form
and brilliancy of coloring, while they
excelth EN- in rapidly of flight. Vari-
GUS peculiar names have been given
them in different countries. The French
call them demoiselles, the Germans
gauze flies and virgins of the water,
while among the English they are known
as dragon flies, horse-stingers, and
devils darning needle. The first of
the English names is very appropriate
to the character of the fly, for, among
other insects, it fully earns its title of
dragon" 1t is not "horse-stinger"
however, can neither bite, sting, nor
poison, and as devil darning needle
does not sew up the mouth of those
children who are given to romancing
They are perfectly harmless to man,
and can be handled without danger.
The dragon fly belongs to the order
"Neuroptera' and the family "Libellu-
ida." They have six legs and four
wings, in average specimens the body
attains the length of an inch and half
or two inches. They are almost uni
versally dressed in gayest colors. The
body is variously bandet with rich shades
of blue, green, and yellow, and the
wings give off the most beautiful irrides-
cent and metallic reflections The
substance OF the wings is delicate
network covered by thin transparent
membrane, combining great strength,
with lightness, which enables it TO fly
and dart upon its prey with the great
est rapidity. The long tail, or 'needle"
undoubtedlye. acts as a rudder TO
steady Its flight. The large head is
provided Nth two enormous compound
eyes, composed of many thousand facets,
and their great power of vision is still
further increased by three simple eyes
of ocelli, on the upper portion of the
head. The mouth is quite a formidable
structure. The upper lip is broad and
conceals powerful toothed manibles,
and there are other organs of the mouth
armed with strong teeth which enable
| it to rend and masticate its food
The natural term of life of the dragon
fly is about one year. Most of its exist
encc is passed in the water in the con-
ditioR Of larya or pupa, and it inhabits
tho mir only three or four weeks. When
abAnt 20 complete its final transforma-
ton, the pupa climbs up some suitable
place near the surface of the water,
attaches itself firmly to some object, and
in 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 untri-
ed pinions with the fullest confidence to
the new element in which he lives but
a few short summer days
Tennyson beautifully describes these
changes in the 1.-TWO Voices:n
| To-day saw the dragon fly
| Come from the wells where he did lie:
| An inner impulse rent the veil
| OF his old hnsk; from head to tail
| Came out clear plates Of sapphire mail.
| lie dried his wings; like gauze they grew:
| Through cr0fts and pastures wet with dew
| Aliving fash oflight he few.
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 fields and through gar
dcns, decimating swarms Of mosquitoes,
flies, gnats, and other baneful insects.
Their rapid flight and enormous range
of vision enable them to capture these
insects with ease. They destroy multi
tudes of moths and millers whose
larvae are injurious to vegetation, while
they do not injure any product of the
agriculturist themselves. Anew of them
shut into hQ would soon rid it of
flies, bugs, AMI Bquitoes. They are
perfectly harmless, and can be handled
with impunity, and are an interesting
subject for study, AS there remains
much to be learned of their natural
history. Tho dragon fly is widely dis
tributed over all parts of the globe, but
few, however, exceed in, size and beauty
those of our own country.