the essentials in brief
- Dragonflies don't sting. Females never use their blunt ovipositor as a defensive sting.
- Dragonflies don't bite. In the worst case, mouthparts that are open in extreme distress cause slight pinching.
- Dragonflies are not poisonous because they do not have poison glands.
Dragonflies do not sting
Dragonflies are superlative insects with breathtaking abilities. Piercing is not one of them. Indeed, an imposing sting can be seen at the end of the abdomen. If you don't know what to do, this sight will frighten you. Even our ancestors were convinced that such large stings must be much more dangerous than small wasp or bee stings. High time to get rid of this mistake. The following table summarizes why dragonflies do not sting compared to other insects:
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| Dragonflies | Wasps | Bees | Bumblebees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike shape | dull | pointed | pointed | pointed |
| Sting function | Ovipositor | Weir sting | Weir sting | Weir sting |
| with poison gland | no | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A chain of unfortunate misconceptions earned the dragonfly the second name "devil's needle". Everyone knows that a wasp sting can be very painful. A bee or Bumblebee sting also accompany complaints that last for days. Huge dragonflies with unmistakable stings are stamped with dangerous monster insects. Reality gives us a completely different picture.
Pacifists with ovens
What looks like a sting is actually a laying tool
The sting at the end of the segmented abdomen of some native dragonfly species is used exclusively to lay eggs. Furthermore, this pseudo-sting is blunt, so that there can be no question of a needle. The correct designation is laying drill. It is a reproductive tool by placing fertilized eggs in soft substrate in or near the water. This task falls to the females, so that male dragonflies are born without ovules.
A blunt ovipositor cannot penetrate human skin even if the dragonfly wanted to. However, such an intention is far from the dazzling colorful helicopter. Likewise, the good-natured insects do not seek the life of horses. The term “horse death” therefore belongs in the land of fables. Dragonflies are among the pacifists in the insect kingdom, characterized by a friendly and shy disposition.
In the distant past, wasps, bees and owned Bumblebees also a blunt ovipositor. However, evolution with the reproductive tools of this category of insects had other plans. In the course of development, the ovipositor turned into a pointed, poisonous defensive spike. For this reason, only queens and workers in the bee colony have a sting that careless people occasionally feel. Males are left behind. Threats used to have no ovens and today they cannot boast of a defensive sting.
Digression
Shaking flight is not an attack
Dragonflies don't bite
Dragonflies use their sharp mouthparts to crack chitin shells, humans cannot bite them
With their powerful mouthparts, dragonflies can crack almost any insect shell. In fact, the upper jaw has pointed teeth with sharp edges that grind any prey with ease. These solid jaws are the source of the myth of aggressive dragonflies in a bad mood, looking for people to bite. It is correct: dragonflies do not bite. The following relationships explain why this is so:
- Human skin is too thick for serious damage from dragonfly teeth
- Mouthparts are primarily used for food intake
- Dragonflies only use their jaws for defense in dire need
From the point of view of their compound eyes, humans are neither enemies nor prey to dragonflies. As a result, the mouth remains tightly closed even if a tired dragonfly settles on its arm, hand or leg to rest. However, if you press or squeeze the harmless natural jewel, you shouldn't be surprised about a bite. Serious consequences, like after one Spider biteare not to be feared. Rather, those affected perceive a slight pinch before the dragonfly, seriously disappointed by humans, rises into the air.
Tips
The film "Kings for a Summer" from Libellen.tv offers a fascinating foray into the life of dragonflies. For three years, the insect friends accompanied the growth and decay in the dragonfly kingdom. The film is available on DVD, Blue Ray and DVD-9 at a price of 15.95 euros. Exciting pleasure for the whole family.
Dragonflies are not poisonous
Poison is a foreign word for dragonflies. The picturesque beauties have no poison glands on the ovipositor, which would be counterproductive in the immediate vicinity of valuable insect eggs. Furthermore, dragonflies do not inject toxic substances with their mouthparts. Direct contact with the shimmering body poses no danger to humans or pets.
Tips for a dragonfly-friendly garden
Once the veil of errors and false suspicions has been lifted, an inestimable natural gem emerges. In the natural garden, dragonflies make a free contribution to ecological pest control. The leisurely coffee table without annoying mosquitoes and flies is thanks to busy dragonflies in the garden. The colorful insects offer captivating spectacles with romantic wedding dances and gripping turf wars. Good reasons for a garden that invites dragonflies to linger. These components include:
- clean water: standing or flowing water without artificial additives such as chlorine
- lush planting: varied plant species on the bank and on the water surface
- free pond areas: balanced combination of open and green pond areas
- sufficient water depth: a water zone with a depth of at least 80 cm in the garden pond
- no pesticides: consistently avoiding insecticides, fungicides, Herbicides and chemical fertilizers
Basically, dragonflies are happy about any variant of Water in the garden with natural framework conditions and dense bank vegetation. Most female dragonflies lay their eggs in the water. After a development time of three months to five years, the adult larvae leave the pond to hatch on stems and leaves near the bank.
frequently asked Questions
Can dragonflies sting cats?
Cats can be dangerous to the dragonfly, not the other way around
Dragonflies do not have a defensive sting. What at the end of the abdomen appears to be a poison sting is in truth a blunt ovipositor. For this reason, harmless dragonflies cannot sting cats, dogs or even people. Conversely, the situation looks different. If a flying or shaking dragonfly awakens a cat's hunting instinct, it won't turn out well for the dragonfly.
How long do dragonflies live?
Dragonflies spend most of their lives as larvae in the water. In Central Europe, this phase extends from three months, like the early darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) to five years, like the genus of the spring damsel (Cordulegaster). As adult dragonflies, the insects live an average of six to eight weeks. The Methusalems among the European species are the winter dragonflies (Sympecma) with a lifespan of ten to eleven months as adults. However, winter dragonflies remain frozen in the cold for between four and six months of their lives.
Where can you see dragonflies?
In the vicinity of stagnant or slow-flowing water, there are excellent prospects for spotting dragonflies in their natural habitat. Some large dragonflies, such as the wonderful blue-green damsel (Aeshna cyanea) also like to stay away from water, such as in densely greened residential areas or allotment garden colonies. For most European species, biotopes, lakes and ponds with lush bank vegetation are the most popular habitats.
Is it true that seven dragonfly stings can kill a human or a horse?
This claim is unfounded and comes from a time when people still believed in witches and wizards. The fact is that dragonflies don't sting because they don't have a defensive sting. At the end of their long, slender body sits a blunt ovipositor, which is only used to place eggs. Furthermore, peaceful, friendly dragonflies do not think in a dream of stinging people, horses or other warm-blooded animals.
A dragonfly often sits in the garden with drooping wings and an outstretched abdomen. Does the dragonfly want to sting me?
No, you describe a special position that dragonflies take to warm up. As cold-blooded insects, dragonflies first have to soak up warm rays of sun in order to be active at all. To do this, they direct their abdomen towards the sun and lower their wings. It is therefore not a threatening gesture, because dragonflies are peaceful companions and cannot sting.
Can you catch dragonflies?
All dragonfly species are protected and are not allowed to be caught. Two thirds of 80 European species are endangered and 20 percent are threatened with extinction. In the past 60 years two irreplaceable dragonfly species have disappeared forever. In order to draw attention to the threatening situation of these beautiful insects, Germans appoint Naturschutzbund (NABU) and the Society of German-speaking Odonatologists (GdO) a dragonfly every year of the year.
Tips
Even when they are tender larvae, dragonflies hunt annoying insects and caterpillars of all kinds. as Ambulance hunters dragonfly larvae float on the surface of the water and keep an eye out for them Mosquito larvae, Water fleas and other prey. Potential victims are captured with a trap mask and eaten.
