Dragonflies as Pets

These beautiful and interesting insects can be coaxed onto your finger for closer observation. They have no stingers, so can't sting and if a curious specimen tries to taste the finger it is sitting on, it will be no more than a very slight pinch. Even the biggest ones can't break the skin. In the several thousand dragonflies I have held, only two have even attempted to bite and it was out of curiosity, not anger.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• dragonfly
• dragonflies
• bugs
• insects
• pets
• odonota

[jacktube11]

I've probably held a thousand dragonflies of all sizes- up to six inches body length- and only one has ever tried to nibble on me. It was a green darner- about 3 1/2 inches long- and it was more of a curious test bite. I didn't really feel it and my skin wasn't torn. I doubt that a dragonfly could seriously harm you.

[religionwhore]

so, how do you coax one onto your finger?

and how do you keep it there?!

[jacktube11]

Read the reply to david0. You slowly slide your finger alongside the body and try to coax a back leg by lifting the tail just behind the legs with the tip of your finger (THEY DO NOT HAVE STINGERS.) Once you have one leg, push against the body and slowly- gently- lift. It usually takes a couple of tries because they fly off. But they will usually come back to the same perch, so just try again. They are beautiful close up and you will never think of insects in the same way again if successful.

[david0]

wtf? how do u tame them?

[jacktube11]

It just takes patience. Sometimes you can walk right up to the first dragonfly you see and it will climb onto your finger. Others will reqiure stalking and trying to get them to perch. Once they do, they are unafraid of you.

[EvilTediz597]

Greatest flying insect around. Good for my area where flies of all kinds and mosquitos run rampant pissing off the locals. Sadly I don't believe they can do much to the Wasp population, barbeques suck when they come along, plus there aren't a lot of bees because of them.

[jacktube11]

Actually, I've never observed a dragonfly eating a bee or wasp of any kind- or a moth or butterfly, for that matter. All they'll do at your barbecue is eat the flies and mosquitos that would otherwise bother you. And in their larval stage, which is spent in water, the mainstay of their diet is mosquito larvae. They are beautiful insects!

[impresioname33]

The thumb nail looked like a penis that's why i clicked on this

[Solidus43]

lol thos are pot plants

[ittlebit024]

They do bite though if you're not careful. I've been bitten by one before lol It didn't leave a mark but did hurt. I <3 dragonflies

[villainousturtle]

For some reason I fell in love with them this year, having paid them no mind all my life. They are amazing and I have taken many photographs of many varieties and caught a few. However, I was unaware that they could be coaxed onto a finger.

[1BustedMyth]

Incredible. They are one of my absolute favorate creatures, I'm jealous! ;)

[PowerTurkish]

I used to be afraid of them because of the sizes, but now that I see this I think they are very pretty and innocent animals :)

[Dekabreak101]

i'd use one to get rid of these mosquitoes

[unalphabet]

do they bite



[99XSeriousGuyX99]

those things are scary

[kitingist]

I was and mesmerized by dragonflies, i remember when i was a child, togethrr w my friend, we would spend our days catching dragonflies.....