what's Latin for tragedy...

Just kidding, I don't care.  Natural selection takes care of a lot of our dragonfly friends, as seen in the following photographs.  Sometimes I wish I would've been disposed of earlier by nature, however, I was born in the 20th century with a lion roaring in the background.  Anyway, someone's loss is our benefit, and these pictures will help us bridge the gap between the very brief period in which a dragonfly lives underwater and in which it takes to the air.

Uh oh...complications emerging!!

Dragonflies spend the majority of their lives underwater developing; during this stage of their lives they are referred to as naiads.  They obtain oxygen through gills, and for mobility they crawl or propel water through rectal jet propulsion.  After the underwater antics cease being fun and the naiad thinks it is   mature enough, if the temperature and season are right, it will crawl out of the water and literally burst out of its own back, becoming a new type of creature.  From an egg to an underwater baby to an aerial adult...that's what they say.  The final molts and former shells of these awesome insects are called exuviae (exuvia is singular).  Walk around any pond during spring and summer and if you look near the edge you will see these exuviae clinging to blades of grass or twigs--the location of the exuvia is where the dragonfly crawled and ripped through its own back, dispensed all the water in its body, inflated its wings with oxygen, looked around at its new above-water world for a minute and then took its first flight ever!

Taking his first look around at the new world, probably feeling somewhat like Christopher Columbus once felt.

If you want to see the emerging process happening you will usually have to rise before the sun comes up and take a flashlight along with you.  It is a good idea to wear waterproof boots as you actually can go down to the water's edge and inspect closely.  Marshy areas are great due to the amount of vegetation that dragonflies can climb out and perch on.  The vegetation provides protection from predators such as birds, frogs or dragonfly collectors.

Specimens that have had difficulties emerging can be a great resource.  If you can positively identify the species of damaged dragonfly you are in the presence of, collecting the exuvia in the immediate vicinity will help you in the future.  How the fuck could that help you...you ask?  Well, assume you're walking around a pond and you find a number of similar exuviae but no dragonflies in sight.  Ha-ha, think back to that time I told you this:  positively identify an exuvia and you can know what kind of dragonflies you may be seeing in the coming weeks.  Why might you not see the dragonfly flying around immediately?  After taking the maiden flight, the insect stows away in bushes or something and goes through a sort of puberty, returning to the water when it is ready to sexually interact and ideally produce more dragonflies.  Therefore, a good collector can identify the dragonfly by the exuvia before he sees it and then be ready in the coming week to go out and catch it!  Dragonflies have personalities and preferences just like some of you and I...so knowing what to expect from a certain species can really help out.

More later, thanks for reading...and remember...take it easy guys!