Dragonflies are leaders of Earth’s ecosystems

Flight occupies a special place in the imagination of children. Folded sheets of paper become planes ready to take off, greedy eyes follow the soaring eagles, and dragonflies become the helicopters of their fantasies.

Dragonflies (called Sitara in Hindi) are truly the wonders of flight. These insects belong to a lineage that was one of the first flying organisms on the planet. About 300 million years ago, their ancient relatives had the same aerodynamic characteristics, but with a wingspan of up to 72 cm. The spectacle of these giant dragonfly ancestors would leave any modern observer spellbound.