Dragonflies

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

Galen Hekhuis wrote:

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

I believe the only cousin in that family to actually survive the cold
Winter as an adult is a damselfly found in Europe.

Lar

They usually drop to the ground and rot away or become fish food.
Thats their lifespans end when a freeze hits. There are more in the
waters in larvae stages that will be out come warm weather.


On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:44:49 -0600, Lar wrote:

Galen Hekhuis wrote:

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

I believe the only cousin in that family to actually survive the cold
Winter as an adult is a damselfly found in Europe.

Lar



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

"Lar" wrote in message
...
Galen Hekhuis wrote:

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the
high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never
seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?
Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

I believe the only cousin in that family to actually survive the cold
Winter as an adult is a damselfly found in Europe.

Lar
==============================
I don't see the original of this message from Galen. (?) The dragon flies
disappear from my ponds before the cold weather arrives in the fall. The
last insects of the year are a few moths fluttering around the outside
lights and the sad chirp of those last crickets before the first good frost
finishes them off.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*







--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I believe thats what has already be stated, without all the emphatic
crap Carol or are going for a me too post here? Might I also suggest
you get a real paid account and get a real news feed. Ah, whats that
you say its too risky and expensive since you feed catfood to koi and
use free services so you have less to loose if booted.....oh ok, I
fully understand now!

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:08:47 -0600, Zëbulon
wrote:


"Lar" wrote in message
...
Galen Hekhuis wrote:

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the
high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never
seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?
Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

I believe the only cousin in that family to actually survive the cold
Winter as an adult is a damselfly found in Europe.

Lar
==============================
I don't see the original of this message from Galen. (?) The dragon flies
disappear from my ponds before the cold weather arrives in the fall. The
last insects of the year are a few moths fluttering around the outside
lights and the sad chirp of those last crickets before the first good frost
finishes them off.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

Zëbulon wrote:


==============================
I don't see the original of this message from Galen. (?) The dragon
flies disappear from my ponds before the cold weather arrives in the
fall. The last insects of the year are a few moths fluttering around
the outside lights and the sad chirp of those last crickets before the
first good frost finishes them off.


I'm in the Dallas area and we have had a couple of hard freezes this
year already but it was in the 70's today and I noticed a dragon fly
buzzing about a backyard I was working in today.

Lar

"Lar" wrote in message
...
Zëbulon wrote:


==============================
I don't see the original of this message from Galen. (?) The dragon
flies disappear from my ponds before the cold weather arrives in the
fall. The last insects of the year are a few moths fluttering around the
outside lights and the sad chirp of those last crickets before the first
good frost finishes them off.


I'm in the Dallas area and we have had a couple of hard freezes this year
already but it was in the 70's today and I noticed a dragon fly buzzing
about a backyard I was working in today.

Lar
===============================
We're in middle TN. We already had a few good killing frosts here. Today it
reached 65F. I didn't see any insects at all. As we hauled firewood to the
pile I did see and hear a sparrow hawk. I was wondering where all the birds
went. Our feeders were full but few birds today. There's still a coating
of ice on the ponds from those nights that were in the teens.

I just went outside to plug in the Xmas lights and it's dead silent out
there. Not even a cricket.

--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*






--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:32:49 -0500, Galen Hekhuis wrote:

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?

Can't tell you where they go, but I think it is cool that you saw one. I do
know the larvae/nymphs are still active under the ice and will eat fry all
winter long. :-( The reason I caught a few of my smaller fantail babies to
give them a chance inside. ~ jan

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:17:03 GMT, ~ janj wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:32:49 -0500, Galen Hekhuis wrote:

We've had a "hard" freeze down here, the temperature got down into the high
20s. It killed most of the bugs that were flying around. So I was a bit
surprised to see a dragonfly buzzing over the pond. I can see a fly
crawling into some crevice, and I could imagine a butterfly folding its
wings and scooting into some little crack to survive. But I've never seen
a dragonfly fold its wings, it seems like it might need a somewhat bigger
space to survive. So where do these critters go when it gets cold?

Can't tell you where they go, but I think it is cool that you saw one. I do
know the larvae/nymphs are still active under the ice and will eat fry all
winter long. :-( The reason I caught a few of my smaller fantail babies to
give them a chance inside. ~ jan

I was watching them a bit last summer. Farther south I've been told they
live as long as a year as adults, but I think it would be marginal at best
around here. Most of the flowers got nailed but a few seem unscathed and I
saw a few butterflies around today also. Like I say, I can sort of see a
butterfly folding its wings and maybe crawling into a crack, but I don't
think a dragonfly *can* even fold its wings.

--
Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Illiterate? Write for FREE help