Dragonfly Swarms Returning To Chicago For The Summer
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's that time of year when more and more dragonflies flutter around the Chicago area and one expert says they're great to have around.
If you're someone who swats at dragonflies, you don't need to, according to Doug Taron, chief curator for the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
Taron said dragonflies eat other flying insects, like mosquitoes and they will not sting you. He also said dragonflies are very helpful, as they eat other flying insects, like mosquitos.
"It's really nice to know the dragonflies are not going to hurt you. I've been in large swarms a couple of times and I always think, 'Go dragonflies! You're eating lots of mosquitoes,'" Taron said.
He said there's typically an influx of dragonflies in late summer, around August, especially the green darner variety.
"Green darners migrate. We don't know exactly where they go each year. Some people say the Gulf Coast, there is some thought that it's further south into Mexico," he said.
While dragonflies do not sting, if you trap one in your hand, for instance, it could bite, but not very hard, according to Taron. He said the "nip" is merely a defensive measure to get away.