The return of the dragonflies
Every year the islands of the Maldives get a massive influx of dragonflies around November/December. It normally coincides with the changing of the monsoon from south west winds to the north east winds. We did a little research and here are some fun facts about these interesting insects:
Where do they go
There have been a few studies on this particular migration, as it is believed that the dragonflies start their journey in India, head down to the Maldives, across to Africa and then back to India.
The rains
It is suggested that they are following the rains as the dragonflies lay their larvae in temporary rain puddles, which contain fresh water and often mosquito larvae, a perfect food source for them.
Longest migration
If this migration is proven to take place, then it would be the longest migration by any insect with a round trip being 14,000-18,000km long and would take 3-4 generations to complete.
The studies strongly suggest that the dragonflies use the wind patterns, along with flying at varying altitudes (up to 1000 m) to reach each destination, arriving just in time for the seasonal rains.
The dragonflies are believed to eat other smaller insects along their travels, whereas they themselves are being a likely food source for migratory birds also taking advantage of the winds. The dragonflies aren’t here for long, but they come in millions making them very hard to miss!
