Every time we see a dragonfly we should thank it for the work it does keeping us safe. They love to dine on mosquito larvae and they catch house flies and horse flies in midair.

In our day and age, the largest dragonflies grow to 4 or 5 inches, but these amazing insects have ancestors dating back millions of years. Back then they were huge. In fact, they win the prize for being the largest flying insect ever for the planet earth, reaching up to nearly three feet across! It makes you wonder just how big the misquotes were back then.

Some dragonflies also live for a surprisingly long time. If they are lucky enough to avoid pesticides and water pollution, some species can live for over half a decade.

If you have a pond in your yard, it's a good idea to keep the water pesticide and chemical free, not only for the occasional Western Toads and Spadefoot Toads that might happen by for a summer evening visit, but also for this amazingly beautiful, non-biting insect that does such good work.