When you watch birds as a hobby, it's called birding. But if you're fascinated with dragonflies, it's called oding, from the dragonfly's order Odonata. These swift creatures, also called darners, are some of the most striking flying insects that evolved around 300 million years ago (Older than dinosaurs!).
Dragonflies in the wild are considered an omen of good luck and fortune. They also symbolize joy and freedom, reminding us to live in the moment. With our collection of dragonfly quotes below, find inspiration from these winged insects while learning more about their significance in nature and different cultures.
Quick links to our selection of dragonfly quotes:
We can find dragonflies on every continent except Antarctica. An estimated 3,000 existing dragonfly species worldwide live near water, and you can spot one near lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
They have evolved to survive in various environments - from hot, tropical areas to cold weather. But only the larval dragonflies live during winter, and other adult species migrate to warmer regions.
Dragonflies today have a wingspan length of two to five inches, while their ancestors, Meganeura, can reach up to two and a half feet. Unfortunately, these humongous dragonflies went extinct with millions of species due to global warming caused by volcanic eruptions during the Permian–Triassic extinction, also known as the Great Dying.
Smaller dragonflies are better! Do you agree? Read on to appreciate them some more with our first batch of dragonfly quotes.
"Magic is seeing wonder in nature's every little thing, seeing how wonderful the fireflies are and how magical are the dragonflies."
"The beauteous dragonfly's dancing By the waves of the rivulet glancing; She dances here and she dances there, The glimmering, glittering flutterer fair."
"The distant mountain reflected in his eyes dragonfly."
"Clouds of insects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air was full of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shot across the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies."
Dragonflies are remarkable fliers and some of the best in nature. They have two pairs of thin, delicate wings that allow them to maneuver expertly during hunting. So if you're a mosquito or a tiny bug, you will be absolutely terrified.
Also, thanks to their two large compound eyes, dragonflies capture their food with their feet mid-flight. And a study reveals that they are the most efficient hunters1, with success rates of up to 95%. In comparison, the king of the jungle only has a 15 to 30% success rate.
Increase your admiration for these efficient winged predators as you read the following dragonfly quotes.
"The dragonfly exists because it exists and for no other reason."
"When a dragonfly flutters by, you may not realize, but it's the greatest flier in nature."
"Despite its dark veins, the transparency of dragonfly’s wings assures me of a pure, innocent world."
"Restless dragonfly, darting, dancing over the ribbons of trailing weed."
"Chasing dragonflies, like buying good books or eating gourmet food, can be curiously addicting."
"So, that was Nature’s way. The mosquito felt pain and panic, but the dragonfly knew nothing of cruelty. Humans would call it evil, the big dragonfly destroying the mosquito and ignoring the little insects suffering."
"I got to keep a clip for my hair. It had a pretty little dragonfly on it and I got to keep it."
A dragon's lifecycle varies per species. They spend a chunk of their lives in the larva or nymph stage. Typically they mature to the adult stage in one to two years.
However, species like the Golden-ringed dragonfly take five years because of their cooler habitats where food is scarcer. Unlike butterflies, dragonflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis with no pupal stage.
Throughout their life, the winged predators only spend a fraction of their time as adults. From their last molting stage, they only have a few months to live the rest of their lives, mostly during summer.
The dragonfly is an important reminder that although our lives are longer, our time is still limited and should not be wasted. So live in the moment and get inspiration from the dragonfly quotes below.
Related: You might also like our butterfly quotes celebrating the transformation from caterpillar to beauty.
"The dragonfly charm. Embrace the magic of nature & life will be filled with good fortune."
"A wet dragonfly can fly again!"
"I am the dragonfly rising on the wings of unlocked dreams on the verge of magical things."
"Dragonflies are reminders that we are light and we can reflect light in powerful ways if we choose to do so."
"The Dragonfly spiritually embodies the stripping away of negativity that holds us back, helping us to achieve our dreams and goals. Dragonflies inspire spirituality and creativity, they help us on the path of discovery and enlightenment."
"The dragonfly pauses in the middle of an April rain to listen to the girl who cries."
"If you are old and you wish to be young again, if only for a moment, try and identify a dragonfly."
"Who would deduce the dragonfly from the larva, the iris from the bud, the lawyer from the infant? …We are all shape-shifters and magical reinventors. Life is really a plural noun, a caravan of selves."
What's in a name? According to Romanian folklore, the devil cursed St. George's horse into a giant insect which they called the devil's horse, whose name eventually translated to dragonfly in English.
But they're far from cursed! Instead, fishermen believed they brought good fortune and signified an abundant fishing ground. And science is proving this old tale thanks to South African researchers who compiled all records and research about the winged insect to develop the Dragonfly Biotic Index. According to the researchers, the index can show or monitor the environmental health and conservation status of aquatic ecosystems3.
Language is colorful. We put animals in both good and bad light, but at the end of the day, they're living beings with a purpose. Check out how sayings and language refer to this flying insect in their dragonfly sayings and quotes below.
"A dragonfly arrives and leaves like a change of mind."
"In July the ant works, the dragonfly flaunts."
"One can hardly believe a dragonfly laid the eagle eggs."
"As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame."
"Time is for dragonflies and angels. The former live too little, and the latter live too long."
"On dragonfly wings with buttercup tea."
"Unless you are here: this garden refuses to exist. Pink dragonflies fall from the air and become scorpions scratching blood out of rocks."
"Smile, to see the lake lay the still sky and out for an easy make the dragonfly."
"He was becoming unstuck, he was sure of that – his bones were no longer wrapped in the flesh but in clouds of dust, in hummingbirds , dragonflies, and luminous moths – but so perfect was his equilibrium that he felt no fear. He was vast, he was many, he was dynamic, he was eternal."
If all dragonflies ceased to exist, mosquitoes and flies would have a field day! One of our winged friends can eat thirty to a hundred mosquitoes daily. Not only that, but their flight expertise has also inspired our drone technology2.
Now, we have to return the favor by conserving their habitats which need protection from pollution and habitat loss. Aside from creating a dragonfly-friendly garden, we can also support dragonfly sanctuaries worldwide, like Dragonfly Park in Shimanto, Japan, and Dragonfly Sanctuary Pond in New Mexico, U.S.A.
After you finish the rest of our dragonfly quotes below, remember that every dragonfly exists for a reason. So let's protect all of them!
And for more inspiration about our flying insect friends, you might like our bee quotes, ladybug facts, and general bug facts.
"Intoxications of life's morning! Enchanted years! The wing of a dragonfly trembles! Oh, reader, whoever you may be, do you have such memories?"
"Deep in the sun searched growths, the dragonfly hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky."
"Their love as a dragonfly, skimming over Echo Park, stopping to visit the lotus. They weren't going to be like everyone else, they were Blaise and Jeanne, eating dreams and drinking blue sky."
"Sitting on the floor of a room in Japan, looking out on a small garden with flowers blooming and dragonflies hovering in space, I suddenly felt as if I had been too long above my boots."
"Go to sleep, baby, Mama will sing. Of blue butterflies and dragonfly wings. Moonlight and sunbeams, raiments so fine. Silver and gold, for baby of mine. Go to sleep, baby. Sister will tell, of wolves and of lambs, and demons who fell."
"All these words, words like 'evil' and 'vicious', they meant nothing to Nature. Yes, evil was a human invention."
"Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star."
| 1 | S. A. Combes, D. E. Rundle, J. M. Iwasaki, J. D. Crall; Linking biomechanics and ecology through predator–prey interactions: flight performance of dragonflies and their prey. J Exp Biol 15 March 2012; 215 (6): 903–913. |
| 2 | Chahl J, Chitsaz N, McIvor B, Ogunwa T, Kok J-M, McIntyre T, Abdullah E. Biomimetic Drones Inspired by Dragonflies Will Require a Systems Based Approach and Insights from Biology. Drones. 2021; 5(2):24. |
| 3 | de Moor, F. C. (2017). Dragonflies as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health. South African Journal of Science, 113(3/4), 2. |
quotes
