I just killed a huge red dragonfly that flew into my room. I feel kinda bad, but it was scary. They make that creepy loud buzzing with the wings, and they look really hideous. What I am wondering, is if dragonflies bite or sting or anything like that? Thank you.
2006-07-17 22:11:35 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Oh yeah, the dragonfly i just killed is bright red, though i've also seen some blue and purple ones flying around. Are ANY dragonflies dangerous?
2006-07-17 22:14:16 · update #1
Well, dragonflies are large predatory insects, so they have the ability and equipment to bite if they wanted. Typically they wont bite if they land on you, but if you handle them roughly thay can give you a nice nip.
I was working in a marsh studying mosquitoes and I just happened to grab one for the fun of it and it turned around and grabbed me right back. It hurt, they have very powerful jaws that they use for chewing up other flying insects.
Many species of dragonfly are brightly colored, however none of them have any formal defence and these colors are meant mostly in communication between other conspecifics. They dont act as warning colors, so there is nothing to be scared of.
Female dragonflies have appendages at the posterior tip of the abdomen that resemble a stinger superficially, but it is actually known collectively as an ovipositor, it is the apparauts used to deposit eggs below the surface of the water (it can break the water tension).
Dragonflies do wonders for the back yard, they are excellent hunters of mosquitoes and other biting flies. They can eat many each day, and if it weren't for predators like these, the numbers of these pesky flies would be much greater. I have gone fishing before and dragonflies landed on my shoulder and just waited for mosquitoes to come after me, then they would leave their perch, catch the bugger and return to chew it up and eat it on my shoulder..........its pretty cool!
I hope that answers your question!
2006-07-18 01:29:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 32⤊ 1⤋
Dragonfly Sting
2016-12-12 03:58:30 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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RE:
Are Dragonflies mean/dangerous? Do they bite/sting?
I just killed a huge red dragonfly that flew into my room. I feel kinda bad, but it was scary. They make that creepy loud buzzing with the wings, and they look really hideous. What I am wondering, is if dragonflies bite or sting or anything like that? Thank you.
2015-08-24 03:14:03 · answer #3 · answered by Lev 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The dragonfly you had in your room was probably a Ruby Meadowhawk Dragonfly (see: http://www.cirrusimage.com/dragonfly-ruby-meadowhawk.htm)
Don't worry, dragonflies are not dangerous at all. Dragonflies do not normally bite or sting humans (though they could try to bite in order to escape, for example, if grasped by the tail); in fact, they are valued as a predator that helps control the populations of harmful insects, such as mosquitoes.
So, there was no need to kill it out of self-defense. But honestly, when I would have been faced with a big red dragonfly in my room, I would have done the same thing. :-)
2006-07-17 22:19:35 · answer #4 · answered by vanchan_london 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Do Dragonflies Bite
2016-10-02 02:18:35 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was tubing in the Chipola River of Florida today and felt something nip at my right shin. Two dragonflies were chilling there, I noticed, as I thrashed in a knee-jerk reaction. This happened twice(both times there were two) as I was chatting with my buddy. They bite... even when unprovoked.
Hope that helps somehow. Strangely, they like to land on me often when I am there... This was the first any had ever "bitten" me.
2014-08-12 13:39:39 · answer #6 · answered by ReptilianPig 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
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Dragonflies...when they showed up it always meant that it was time for football season to start. I make stained glass butterflie and dragonflies. The dragonflies outsell the butterflies 3:1.
2016-03-24 09:53:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, they don t really bite and people on here who say that they ve been stung or bitten are likely mistaken. Search online and you ll see that all "credible" sources say they are harmless to humans, unless you trap them, and even then a bite will not likely break the skin. I live in the tropics and they are in my house all the time. I let them in to hunt any mosquitoes that got in. They are curious little creatures and will hoover right in front of your face as if trying to figure you out. Had one land on my nose once. I let them land on my hand or finger all the time. They are the coolest insects around so yeah, I d feel like an *** for killing one.
2016-03-11 12:25:06 · answer #8 · answered by D 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
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2016-04-17 01:06:21 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was trimming my hedge and was stung twice by dragonflies once on the hand and on the back of my leg. That one has gotten larger turned red and itches badly. They stung at first then almost cleared up . That was two weeks ago and they are still itching. Is it serious?
2015-07-31 05:06:39 · answer #10 · answered by Cheryl 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋