This is just too much!.. Yesterday I watched my 16 year old son while he
watched the two newest dragonflies at our new pond. He was clearly
fascinated with them and before he left to go and be fascinated with his
girlfriend he asked, "Mom, what do you know about dragonflies? They fly
funny!" He has always had his head in the air, loves anything about
anything that flies, and has his hopes set on flying for the navy someday.

Thanks to you all I can tell him that dragonflies do indeed fly funny, if he
didn't already look it up for himself last night..

wrote in message
...
They fly in antiphase which is very impressive but I
forget exactly what it means.

Most of the stronger insect fliers have evolved means to link their
forewings and hindwings in flight so that each side functions as one
flight surface. Dragonflies and damselflies, in contrast, move the two
pairs independently, timing the stroke of the hindpair so that they
meet the oncoming air before it has been disturbed by the front pair.
Physicists would describe them as operating in antiphase.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/cyberfly271...agonflies.html

Jim
Zone 8a - Dallas, Texas
Pond, Veggie Filter, Pond Maintenance & Pond Tour Pics:
http://community.webshots.com/user/dallas75248