Bent County register., 1888-09-08
A Useful and unapprecia,cd Insect.

One of the most useful and beneficial in.
secss of the summer season, and one whose
services are least appreciated by the agri-
cu.turist is the common dragon fly. There
are many varieties, comprising an extern
sive and beautiful group of large sized i'll
sects, rivaling our butterflies in graceful
ness of form and brilliancy of colorins,
while they excel them in rapidity of
light, Various popular names have been
given them in different countries. The
French call them "Demoiselles," the Ger
mans "Gauze Flies and Virgins of the
Watsr,- while among the English they are
known as dragon Flies" ""Horse Stingers," !"
and DEVILS Darning Needless" The first
of the English names is very appropriate
to the character of tho fly, for among 9th
or insects, it fully earns its title of Drag
on" 1t is not horse stingsr" however,
can neither bite, sting nor poison, and as to
devils darning needle" does not sew up
en- to romancing. They are perfectly
harmless to man, and can be handled
without danger.
The dragon hy belongs to the order
'Neuropeefa" and the family 'LibeElulidI."
They have six legs and four wings In av-
eTage specimens the body attains the length
ofan inch and . half or two inches. They
are almost universally dressed in gayest
cSlors. The body is variously banded with
rich shades of blue, green and yellow, and
the wings give of the most beautiful iri-
descent ana metallic reflections. The sub
stance of the wings is a delicate network,
covered by thin, transparent membrane,
combining great strength with ligh tness
which enables it TO iy and dart upon its
prey with the greatest rapidity. The long
tai, or needle" undoubtedly. acts rs n
rudder to its steady fight. The large head
is provided with two enormous compound
eyes composed of many thousand facets,
ard their great power Of vision is still fur
tter increased by three simple eyes, or oc-
ELI, on the upper portion of the head. The
mouth is quite q formidable structure The
upper lip is broad and conceals powerful
toothed nlandibles, and there are other
organs Of the mouth armed with strong
teeth which enable it to rend and masti
cute its food.
The natural term of life of ,he dragor,
~ is about one year. Most Of its exist
ance is passed in the water in the condi-
ton of larva or pupa, and it inhaoits the
air only three or four weeks. When about
to complete its final transformation, the
pupa climbs up some suitable place near
the surfies of the water, attaches itself
firmly to some object, and in q short time
the skin opens along the back, and from
the rent there soon appears the. perfect
dragon fiy, who, after drying his wings,
trusts his untried pinions with the fullest
confidence to the new clement in whicE
he lives but few short summer days.
Tennyson beautifully describes these
changes in the 1.-TWO Volces:"
"To-day saw the dragon ay
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
OF his old husk; from head to tail
Came ous clear plates of sapphire mail.
Through crofts and pastures wet with dew
a living cash of light he tiew.'
During its existence of three or four
weeks above the water its whole life is q
continued good TO man. II hawks over
pools and fields and through gardens. de-
eimating sSarms of musquiroes, flies, gnats
and other baneful insects. Their rapid
flight and enormous range of vision enable
them to capture these insects with ease.
They destroy multitudes OF moths and
millers whose larvD are injurious to- vege-
tation, while they do not ini,ire any pro-
duet of the agriculturst themselves A few
of them shut into a house, would very soon
rid it of flies, bugs and mosquitoes. They
are perfectly harmless, and can be hand
elded with impunity, and are an interest
ing subiect-for study, as there still remains
much to be learned of their natural history.
The dragon fly is widely distributed over
all parts o. the globe, but few, however,
exceed in size or beauty those of our Own
country.