Sep

The dragonfly at Erimitis

Its incredible speed and amazing eyesight (the compound eyes of an adult dragonfly is composed of almost 24,000 tiny eyes each and can see at a 360-degree angle) ranks them highest on the “predator” list, above the lion and the great white shark, as they manage to kill 95% of their prey targets. Fortunately, in 2022 its targets are mostly mosquitoes. But considering that the largest dragonfly fossil has been found measuring 91 cm, which ranks it as the largest insect to have lived on the planet, its amazing hunting abilities make it rather terrifying!

The dragonfly belongs to those insects, like the butterfly, which only has wings in the last stage of its life and for a very short time… More specifically, it lives from 1-5 years in larval stage in the water and only 1 month as an adult.

It is worth mentioning that apparently for all the above reasons, as well as for the shiny iridescent or metallic colors, the dragonfly has been associated with a number of traditions and myths, and indeed, in our region, the depiction of the dragonfly seems to have a ritualistic character as a fresco from the Minoan period has been found in Akrotiri of Thera where a female deity is depicted wearing a necklace with dragonflies on her neck!

Just remember that if you want to admire them, you should look for them on your next trip to Erimitis for a swim, because in autumn they will no longer be around…

Thanks to Aggeliki Pouliasi for the amazing photos