Do You Know Your Boreal?
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
The Wonders of Dragonflies Column by Sharon Krushel, author of Mother Earth: Boreal Beauty of the Peace Country
with Flora, Fauna, & Fungi ID, including Latin, French, Beaver & Cree
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein
Dragonflies are legendary, inspiring and AWE-mazing!
Their predecessors, the griffinflies, evolved about 350 million years ago in the Palaeozoic Era—about 100 million years before dinosaurs and birds.
The largest species was the size of a sharp-shinned hawk, which had a wingspan of 28 inches. It was the largest flying insect ever!
According to an article published by the Natural History Museum, “Where insect wings came from is still debated and there are competing theories about how wings evolved.”
The body plan of dragonflies hasn’t really changed in 350 million years—they’ve just become smaller.
In 2023, a 75-million-year-old dragonfly fossil was discovered in Dinosaur Provincial Park (near Drumheller). It was the first in Canada!
Order of Odonates found in Alberta today: 50 species of dragonflies (Suborder Anisoptera) and 20 of damselflies (Zygoptera).
Anisoptera means “unequal-winged.” Their hind wings are shorter and broader than their fore wings. When they are flying forward, the front wings provide lift and the hind wings provide propulsion. When they fly backward, it’s the other way around.
Super aviators!
Dragonflies can fly about 50 km/hr, and their four wings are controlled with four direct muscles, so they can move independently.
They can hover, fly backward and perform complex aerial maneuvers in a flash. They are superb hunters with pretty much 100 percent success rate.
Dragonflies’ eyes are another source of wonder. They consist of two large, multifaceted compound eyes and three smaller simple eyes (ocelli). The compound eyes—each with up to 30,000 tiny lenses called ommatidia—provide a nearly 360° field of vision. The simple eyes help with orientation, stabilizing flight and keeping the gaze level.
Dragonfly eyes are exceptionally sensitive to motion and perceive a wider range of colours than humans, including ultraviolet light. Did you know, dragonflies see much faster than you and me? Dragonflies detect ~200 images per second (compared to ~60 for humans). They see, process, react to and track prey in milliseconds. Fortunately for us, their prey includes mosquitoes.
Biomimicry
Dragonflies inspired engineers (e.g. Igor Sikorsky) to study their flight mechanics. This has directly influenced helicopter design and rotor stabilization.
Continued research, including their 360° vision, has informed advancements in drone agility and autonomous landing technology.
Dragonflies symbolize transformation, adaptability, joy, self-realization and a shift from a lower perspective to a higher understanding.
Transformation
According to an article by Valerie Assinewe on NatureCanada.ca, “In their larval stage, which can last several years, dragonflies live in lentic water and eat…tadpoles, mosquitoes, fish, other insect larvae...After a series of moults, the nymph crawls out of the water…then its exoskeleton cracks open and releases the dragonfly’s abdomen, which had been packed in like a telescope. Its four wings come out, and they dry and harden over the next several hours to days.”
Personal encounters
In 2022, I was honoured to attend Beaver First Nation Culture Camp at Two Lakes in Mackenzie County. The inspiring week was sprinkled with the fairy dust of a multitude of dragonflies around the shore. Some pairs were mating in the air, forming a heart shape called the mating wheel. Elders told me their name for dragonfly is anǫ́ǫ́kode.
Last September, I was enchanted to meet Artemis the Anisoptera—a female Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta).
After a hike around Figure Eight Lake in the County of Northern Lights, we saw a dragonfly on its back in the water near the boat dock. We thought she was dead, but she started frantically moving her wings. She managed to flip over, but couldn’t lift off, so I scooped her up for fear she might drown.
She clung tightly to my thumb for about 10 minutes as the breeze and the warmth of the sun dried her wings. I was wide-eyed with wonder marveling at her intricate design, her eyes and her movements. Have you ever looked closely at a dragonfly’s wings?
She moved her front legs up and over her eyes as if she was trying to dry her face.
Joseph Mwihaki (see Move Up May 2025) and Naveen Arora took photos with my Nikon. Lynn Page-Scott asked me if I wanted to name her. I pondered and replied, “Artemis.”
And, the beautiful creature took flight, her wings glistening in the sunlight, as we quietly cheered her on.
I named this brave, resilient female Variable Darner Artemis, after the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, nature, wild animals, transitions and the patron of healing. She was often said to roam the wilderness attended by her entourage of nymphs.
May you see miracles in your world today.
Sharon will be leading several hikes this summer and fall.
See the Guided Hike Tour Events at peaceriveradventures.ca
To see the music video/slideshow “Come by the Hills” by Peace Country musicians and photographers, go to MotherEarthBook.ca.
To see over 1,200 photos of boreal wonders, you can purchase a Mother Earth book (below) or ask to see the copy donated to your local library. If they don’t have one, ask them to contact me.
Contact: Sharon Krushel at 780-625-6324 or krushel@mac.com
At MotherEarthBook.ca, you can order the 288-page coffee table book, or find a retail outlet in Fort Vermilion, Fairview, Manning, Peace River, Beaverlodge or Grande Prairie.
For a personalized autograph or bulk purchase, contact Sharon.
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