From muck to free flight, dragonflies flourish in warm conditions

There's one 'darn'insect this year that hasbenefitedfrom Saskatchewan's mild, warm spring and summer.

No, it's not mosquitos.

It'sdragonfliesspecifically'darner' dragonflies, the variety with the long, pointed bodies that resembledarning needles.

"We've hadsuchalovely, hot early spring and early summer so far.The waters,the sloughsandthe ponds where the juveniles are living have warmed up quite quickly and that's allowed the juveniles to change into adults," explainedentomologistCedric Gillott.

In an interview on CBC Saskatchewan'sthe Morning Edition, Gillottnotedthat theswarms of dragonflies fluttering about this year are, in fact, three years old. They havespent the past two years hibernating in the muckat the bottom of water bodies.

During their initial growth they do notrequire oxygen, he said.

It's really a wonderful life.- EntomologistCedric Gillott

"To come out as an adult in thethirdyear,they have to reach aparticularstage by a particular date.It's like climbing over a wall," he explained.

"If they reach that stage by a particular time, they will literally climb out of the water,up a bulrush or some other emerging vegetation,and shed their skin, finally becoming one of these fantastic adults," the entomologist said.

If the spring is too cold for the omnivorous insects because temperature controls their growth rates "they can just stay downthere andtake another summer in the water and come out the following summer," Gillott explained.

By that point, when the dragonflies do emerge, they go out with a bang, spending the summer eating and procreating.

"Yes it's really a wonderful life," Gillott said with a laugh.

After six to eight weeks of eating, they become sexually mature, and then start mating. Females lay their eggs in water bodies.

Then they die and the cycle continues with the larvae, which will emerge three years later.