Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 09:06 pm
The dragonfly is an animal that enjoys a good reputation among gardeners! Indeed it is a formidable predator both when it is a larva and as an adult.
The dragonfly is an insect easily identifiable because of its large size, its large faceted eyes and its translucent wings.
The dragonfly lays its eggs in an aquatic environment. The eggs are laid in water and will hatch, releasing a prolarva. During its stay in the water, the larva is a voracious predator. It eats primarily bloodworms. Once adult, it feeds on insects on the water and it is there that it finds the best hunting ground. She feasts on flies and mosquitoes, which she hunts in full flight using a particularly well-honed technique. Its large faceted eyes allow it to count on a very piercing sight!
The method of hunting of the dragonfly is in fact rather simple: it always carries out the same course (which can be slightly deviated to catch a prey), and literally gobbles the small insects in flight. For the big insects caught, she will land on a small high branch or a big twig to eat it and then rest.
During the reproduction, the females are posed in height, whereas lower, the males twirl in all the directions with a few centimeters of water? perhaps to be noticed by these ladies…
To arrange its garden to attract the “damsels”.
To have dragonflies in your garden, you will have to install a watering place, however small. For example, you can install it in a small container: a pewter basin, a ceramic bowl will do, if they are filled every day with water. However, if you are lucky enough to have more space, don’t hesitate to build a pond. Or you may be lucky enough to live near a lake or pond that is not emptied every year, which is likely to host the larvae.
The larvae are looking for these wet places and of course they only stay where they find an abundance of prey.
It is therefore better to have tall grasses full of insects with bushes and a few trees multiplying the biotopes serving as a refuge for a more varied fauna, rather than a simple lawn. Of course, insecticides should be banned from the garden!
Plant a large number of aquatic plants that will attract specific fauna. Once the right balance is created, a rich ecosystem will be established. An intense life will develop on the banks of your water.
Your garden is now ready to welcome a diverse fauna, which, thanks to its balance, will allow “organic” gardening, helping you to fight against parasites in an environmentally friendly way and without the use of phytosanitary products. Let’s help nature to regain its strength, it really needs it!