Zinnias with Dragonfly. Image by bbum via Flickr

By Pamela Ravenwood

The idea of having insects of any variation, living within the garden you work so hard to maintain, can manifest a troublesome stream of thought.

In truth, there are several tiny creatures that create a healthy dynamic for your greens. In understanding how these insects operate, it is possible to work with them to create a natural balance within your own garden.

Here are the most common insects that can be a benefit to most all gardens:

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•    Ladybugs - These familiar beetles work overtime to clear your garden of unwelcome guests.  Harmless to humans, ladybugs will feast on aphids.  They also lay their eggs directly onto aphid colonies, feeding on these leaf eaters three weeks before they hatch.  A ladybug not only eats up to sixty aphids a day, but they also have a ravenous appetite for other small mites and leafhoppers.

•    Parasitic Wasps – Fortunately, these are not the stinging wasps most tend find alarming.  These wasps feed on pollens and nectars, quite similarly to the ladybug.  Once they have found a home within your garden, they most commonly will begin to eat most anything in the grub/worm family.  These particular wasps are in need of moisture to survive, thriving on gardens that are well-watered with moist soils.

•    Praying Mantis – One of the larger species, these creatures are just as much interesting to have in a garden as they are helpful.  Praying Mantis can be purchased in egg form, and placed amid shrubbery or large leaf plants.  After they have hatched, they will dine on large beetles, fruit flies, moths and crickets.  They require a certain degree of humidity, and are hard to spot, as they tend to avoid direct sunlight.

•    Green Lacewings - These winged bugs were initially native to Australia.  They are now found worldwide, commonly used in gardens to ward off caterpillars and white flies.  Green lacewings commonly do not eat other insects.  Their main interest is that of insect’s eggs.  Although, if eggs are not in abundance, they will use their paralyzing venom to consume up to 200 aphids per week.

•    Dragonflies – The dragonfly is not only of assistance to your garden, but also the tending gardener.  Dragonflies eat mosquitoes.  They generally gravitate to tall reedy plants, weaving in between them to catch prey.  Importantly, any pesticide used to eliminate mosquitoes will also kill off dragonflies.  So, after spotting dragonflies and understanding their diet, sprays for mosquitoes can be eliminated.

In an effort to minimize the use and cost of pesticides, allowing beneficial insects to house themselves within a garden is also a benefit to the gardener.  In most cases, the trick is to make sure your beneficial insects outnumber insects that can create damage.

Invite beneficial insects into your garden by providing nectarous flowers and flowering plants. Also providing a garden with flowers that bloom at alternate times throughout the year will keep your helpful insects from traveling to find a new food base.

While it is possible to purchase these critters, it is sometimes most effective to encourage those that are already living within your garden. Allowing your garden insects to work for you may provide astonishing results.

About the Author Pamela Ravenwood is a freelance writer, journalist, and writing coach who lives in the desert. In addition to spending her days writing, she also loves to tend to her organic garden where she grows as much of her own food as possible. In this, she counts on her cord reel to keep her hoses from drying out from the desert heat.

(ArticlesBase SC #1098454) Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Beneficial Insects For Your Garden

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Image by Getty Images via Daylife

By Walter Sigmore

One of the most common tattoo designs which we can normally see in women is a dragonfly tattoo. But what is so special about this insect?

Surely, everyone is well aware that they are harmless little creatures which have beautiful, transparent wings. We also know that their body can reflect several colors.

But lately, these insects are being combined with several tattoo themes.

They can be seen with Asian or even oriental inspired designs.

Also, they are blended with tattoos of Native American theme.

They can also be mixed along with mystical designs and fantasy art.

But is there some meaning behind choosing such design?

Normally, Asian cultures such as China, Vietnam and Japan all have a high respect for the dragonfly. Often, the Japanese see the dragonfly as a symbol of joy or happiness. They also see it as a symbol of courage and strength. While Japan and China use dragonflies for medical purposes, the Vietnamese occasionally uses these insects to aid in forecasting the weather.

With regards to the view of the United States, dragonflies are a symbol of rebirth or a renewal after a great hardship or loss. This is a belief in several Native American cultures. These people also believe that dragonflies hold the souls of people who have died.

The design of a dragonfly has been used in Hopi, Pueblo, and Zuni pottery, jewelry and artwork. To the Navajo tribe, dragonflies represent pure water. Mostly, a dragonfly is being used to symbolize both water and air. This is because these insects begin their life in water and then change into a flying creature when they mature.

Such transformation of a dragonfly from water to air is the reason for the metaphysical or mystical symbolism of the insect. Such qualities make the beautiful insect a symbol of big change. The rising up, achieving of goals, and even death are denoted by our limits which have been self imposed.

Often, dragonflies are connected with growing up and maturity. Mythical stories have even referred to such creatures as previous dragons.

Many people believe that dragonflies symbolize quickness, invincibility and agility because of the insect’s maneuverability and speed. No matter what culture you go by, there are still several people who have their own individual idea on what a dragonfly tattoo means.

Because dragonflies can be inked with any color you like, the designs work well with women and men. Whatever reason you have for choosing the design, you must be proud to be represented by such beautiful creature.

About the Author For more awesome and creative tattoo designs with a wide variety of unique dragonfly tattoo designs, check out Tattoo Designs and Ideas If its tattoos, you will find it here!

(ArticlesBase SC #1487359) Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The Meaning Behind a Dragonfly Tattoo

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• Flying Dragons of the Sky (0)

Image by macropoulos via Flickr

Author: Ruel Hinaloc

DURING hot, midsummer days, the air above fields and ponds becomes the stage for some of the most amazing fliers in insectdom—the dragonflies.

With their two pairs of long wings glistening in the sun, you can see dragonflies flashing back and forth, looping, turning and diving at will. One moment they will be zooming at express-train speed high in the sky, then, the next, swooping down to skim the surface of a pond. These marvels of creation can even fly backward or hover in midair like a helicopter.

But the sun-loving dragonflies do not fly simply for the enjoyment of it. These aerial dynamos ply their skills to feed an insatiable appetite. In fact, Mr. Dragonfly can eat his own weight in half an hour and still be hungry.

When hunting a meal to appease their appetite, dragonflies exhibit distinctive habits. Some species search over large areas. Others have set paths that they follow generation after generation. Larger dragonflies stake out territories for themselves and drive off other dragonflies by wildly clattering their wings.

Sometimes if an invading dragonfly is bold and is not intimidated by the clattering, it will be met head to head. Hovering together menacingly, these two will stay in that position while rising straight up into the sky.

Whether they take to roaming or settling in one spot, dragonflies stay alert for their favorite diet: mosquitoes and gnats. They also find tasty meals in moths and horseflies.

Because of their long, slender, needle-shaped body, many persons have believed that dragonflies sting, but this they do not do. They are not only harmless to man but also very beneficial because of their devouring mammoth quantities of flies and mosquitoes.

When a dragonfly zeros in on these insects, they are completely outmatched. Equipped with six spine-fringed legs that are bunched together like a basket, dragonflies scoop prey out of the air and suck their bodies dry while racing after another victim.

So swiftly do they gobble up prey that dragonflies have been known to eat forty horseflies in two hours. One dragonfly was found with its mouth gorged with one hundred mosquitoes! No wonder these voracious insects have earned the name “flying dragons.”

Mating, and Life Underwater

But there is a time when dragonflies pay less attention to eating and more to their airmanship. This is during the mating season.

Rival males, seeking the attentions of a female, take to the air to do battle. Their aerial duels feature some of the most brilliant air maneuvers of any living creature. Some species are more moderate, though, and perform a sort of courtship dance.

Once they have found a mate, the males literally carry off the female. To mate, dragonflies fly in tandem, that is, the male holding the female by the back of the head while flying through the air. As the female is to mate, she extends the tip of her abdomen to the male’s second thoracic segment and receives a sperm capsule.

After her eggs are fertilized, the female deposits them on a pond’s surface or in aquatic weeds. Exactly how many eggs a dragonfly lays is open to question; but there have been found as many as 110,000 eggs in a single cluster.

The eggs lie in the water or weeds a few days. Then the offspring begin to emerge. And strange creatures they are. Other than being born with hefty appetites, these creatures, called nymphs, resemble the parents very little. They have gills in the thin walls of their intestines.

These gills not only absorb oxygen, but, in times of trouble, give the nymph quick getaway power. When alarmed, the nymph just lifts its legs off the bottom of the pond, expels a jet of water through the gills, and rockets forward several inches.

Perhaps the most unusual feature of the nymph is its manner of catching food. Unlike its fleet parents, the nymph is sluggish. So it waits for a mosquito larva or minnow to swim close by. Then, suddenly, it shoots out an underlip hidden beneath the head.

Sharp claws at the tip of the underlip grasp the unwary prey and pull it to the nymph’s mouth. This underlip, which is hinged and elongated, operates similarly to the human arm. The middle hinge is like the elbow, allowing the underlip to swing back and forth easily.

When the underlip is not in use and is folded back under the body, an unusual thing happens. The claws cover the nymph’s face like a bandit’s mask. An appropriate costume for these tiny submarine creatures!

Life in the Sky

Many nymphs among the nearly 5,000 species of dragonflies complete their underwater life in one year. Others, however, may take from two to five years. During this time they pass ten to fifteen successive stages of molting.

Many changes take place: the number of six-sided lenses in the compound eyes increase; the antennae gain new joints; the legs lose their hairiness; the wing pads appear on the thorax. But these changes are merely a prelude to their transformation as adult dragonflies.

The nymph’s final step to being a creature of the air usually begins at night. It climbs out of the water and clings to the bank or to a stem. Twelve hooks, two on each foot, secure its hold. Here it remains motionless for some time as the body completes the metamorphosis.

Finally a rent appears on the back side of the thorax and the disheveled dragonfly struggles out of the nymphal shell. At first its four wings are damp and folded back like a fan, but steadily they are pushed open by blood swelling the vast network of veins running through the transparent tissues.

Also the colors of the newly emerged dragonfly are faint. But they intensify until the dragonfly rivals even the butterfly and moth in beauty. Its colors range the spectrum of the rainbow—brown, lavender, ultramarine, green, azure blue, scarlet, crimson, lilac, cerulean blue, red and ivory white.

The dragonfly will wait about five hours after leaving its armor-like shell to allow its wings and body to harden. Once the wings are able to carry it in flight, the dragonfly darts into the air. Never again will it use its legs to walk. It has become a creature of the air.

Powerful Flier

The largest dragonfly today is a tropical species having a wingspan of seven and a half inches. It ranks as one of insectdom’s best and strongest fliers. In fact, this most accomplished insect aviator has been known to fly fifty to sixty miles an hour!

The power for the wings is supplied by motor muscles that comprise one quarter of the dragonfly’s entire weight. These muscles, vibrating the wings 1,600 times a minute, enable dragonflies to cover huge distances.

Such powerful fliers are they that ship passengers have observed them winging their way over the ocean 175 miles off the coast of Africa. One species settled on an island that lay 200 miles across open sea!

They fly the greatest distances when drought or food shortage drives them into migrating. These migrations sometimes attain fantastic proportions. In 1839 millions of them blanketed the skies as they followed rivers and streams over most of Europe. In the United States, swarms of them migrated to the South in 1881, literally darkening the skies.

But these great fliers must be ever watchful. They are in constant danger from birds, frogs and fish. Against such predators dragonflies have speed and keen sight. Their bulging eyes, which cover the better part of the head, can scan far into the distance.

The Creator designed them in such a way that each eye contains as many lenses as the eyes of 15,000 men! They can also see in virtually every direction at the same time. And they are farsighted, allowing them to spot a mosquito thirty feet away.

With such vision dragonflies can dodge almost any pursuer, including man. Trying to catch these dexterous fliers can be quite a task. But Japanese children have discarded the net in favor of ingenuity.

They attach tiny pebbles to the ends of long hairs and throw them into the air where dragonflies are circling. When one of the insects pounces upon the passing stone, the hair twists about its body and the weight of the pebble grounds it.

Even though these zestful creatures are able to elude most enemies, those in the temperate zone eventually get caught by the chilling winds of autumn. Life for the dragonfly is short, lasting only the warm months of spring and summer.

In the fall you will find them clinging motionless to stems or leaves, numb from the cold. Flying is done only during the warmest part of the day. The first frost brings down the curtain for them, leaving the air above the fields and streams devoid of their fascinating presence.

But the chain of life does not stop. Nymphs, protected beneath the ponds and streams, continue to mature. With the hot weather, they will emerge to become a new generation of the dragons of the sky.

About the Author:

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Flying Dragons of the Sky

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• The Meaning Behind a Dragonfly Tattoo (0)

Image via Wikipedia

Author: Peter Boxall

The metamorphic act of emergence from nymph to dragonfly strips away our beliefs of containment of our actions, our limitations, our doubts, and our self doubt. ‘The Spirit of the Dragonfly’ reminds us that everything is possible.

We can achieve our dreams and our goals, we learn to understand about ourselves, and our self belief. The Dragonfly Spirit is the keeper of our dreams, seeing out true potential and ability, giving us the capability to fulfil our birthright.

The wings of the Dragonfly reflect the colours of our Universe and connect us to their energy. The power of the individual colour or colours help us achieve our aspirations.

The choice of colours of our clothes, the interiors of our surroundings, even the colour of our car can have a positive or negative influence on what we wish to achieve in life. The wearing of dull or drab colours sends out a negative message, saying inside we really don’t want to achieve or fulfil our ambitions. The colours we surround ourselves with reflect back to us the message we send out, just as the reflection of the wings of the Dragonfly.

If we want to change we need to show we are ready and willing to allow the changes to occur through the energy generated by the vibrations given off from the colour connected to particular energy of the experience we are seeking.

If we want to stand out work for our contribution in the workplace we should wear shades of red and violet.

If we wish to start afresh we should wear shades of green, and for a feeling of greater empowerment we should wear shades of yellow.

To develop a greater intuitive ability, and feel more deeply connected with the Universe we should wear shades of blue and indigo.

We should use colours to express who we are, our aspirations of desire and experience in our lives. We should learn from Mother Nature, with its vast array of colour, and how nature uses colour, whether for the pollination of the flowers, in the cycle of birth and rebirth, or the use of colour to deter or drive away predators.

Through the ‘Spirit of the Dragonfly’ we can use colour in the same way as nature to attract or deter through the messages we send out to others, and the reflective reactions of others to the messages we send out, to help the greater understanding of our self.

In the beginning of the life cycle of the Dragonfly the Nymph emerges from the egg, spending as long as five years beneath the water surface, using internal gills to breathe, the use their extendable jaws to cut away at other invertebrates, and even vertebrates such as tadpoles and fish,

In the same way the Spirit of the Dragonfly can teach us to combine emotion with rational thought, by gutting away at the parts of our lives, that we cannot control. This is especially helpful in dealing with addictions, such as overeating, drinking to excess and drug addiction, other addictions such as procrastination, gambling, over spending, daydreaming, overworking and other addictions, which do not allow us to live a balanced and fulfilled lifestyle.

Most addictions are due to suppressed emotional energies and traumas that are being compensated through the addiction. Over eating often compensates for feeling unloved, and drinking for depression, or a depressive life style. There are often other parts of ones lifestyle that are out of control and need addressing, before they can be resolved.

Often one has to peer beneath the emotional waters, into the murky depths, to understand the causes and what is really happening inside oneself.

When the Nymph is ready to metamorphosis into an adult, it climbs up with the assistance of an emergent plant at night, and as it does its breathing pattern changes inside the larva’s body, then skin splits at a weak point behind the head, and the adult Dragonfly crawls out of its old larval skin, waits for the sun to rise, pumps up is wings and swiftly flies off. The Dragonfly is the world’s fastest flying insect, propelling itself at speeds of 19 to 38 miles per hour, dependant upon the species.

In the same way using the energy generated by the Spirit of the Dragonfly one can swiftly come to conclusions and new insights that help you propel yourself from the old larval skin into new ways thought, action and lifestyle. This is the point of metamorphication, the most important time for ‘seeing’ through illusions, and being receptive to the messages being sent to you from the Universe directly through the Spirit of the Dragonfly.

We must leave behind our old beliefs of powerlessness, irrational fears, and false limitations, you have the choice of your beliefs and your focus for the future. Although one always the power to change one’s circumstances, this is a pivotal point and with the energy from the Spirit of the Dragonfly, one clearly shows one is ready to leave behind all the excuses for not making changes, and taking on the full responsibility for what we make of our life, by making the appropriate changes now while one has the energy, support and power of the emerging Spirit of the Dragonfly.

People who have absorbed and retain the energy from the Spirit of Dragonfly are often good healers, and understand the use of Colour for Healing, they can sense or see the colours that one carries in their aura, and can learn how to assist that person by changing the colour rays so the person can be a part in their own healing process, rather than being dependant on others to carry out the healing process for them, which hardly ever works.

This can de shown by the following examples, if a person carries a heavy murky colour of red within their aura, leading to power struggles, constant irritations, and things always going wrong, the healer can assist in replacing the heavy murky reds, with lighter clearer reds to empower the person with confidence,

Or if a person’s aura is depleted in vital energy and colour the healer can teach the person to learn to draw in the energy rays through the colours of the Universe, both seen and unseen to repair and invigorate the aura.

For the recharging of the aura, which is particularly necessary during periods of stress and trauma, and is needed by healers and by all of us at least several times a week, or even once of twice a day. One of the easiest and most pleasant ways of restoring or building up ones aura is to get comfortable in a placid place where one feels at home, and to focus on all the colours of the rainbow and to visualise them entering into the aura via the Universal flow.

If one needs additional energy they can call upon the Spirit of the Dragonfly, by visualising the rainbow colours reflecting of the wings of the dragonfly as it flies over meadow, gardens and streams

If one is a novice to this and there is some apprehension, one can incorporate remembered fond memory places into the flight of the butterfly. One can also do this before going to sleep at night ensuring a good night’s rest and awakening in the morning feeling fully rested and invigorated.

Or one can take some short timeout in the lunch break to be fully restored for the rest of the day. With practise one can learn to be able to this in almost any place and situation.

For the first time one can use a tangible item, which can be focused upon, a glass paperweight is to be recommended as it performs both functions, the glass is made from silica from rock crystals so stores energy, a Dragonfly Paperweight will help to bring harmony in the environment.

People with the Spirit of the Dragonfly are very good at deciphering the colours of one’s emotions and homing in on what emotions control our lives. We get so used to how we feel, it becomes the norm, we may not recognise that we are depressed or hold levels of anger or hostility, or we hold within grief or remorse from events that occurred in the long past. We project these emotions onto other, and find ourselves attracting like people who are depressed or hostile.

In our Western Culture we are often brought up not to show and to stifle our emotions, so this energy get forced down, trapped and built up in our lower chakras, Using the energy from the ‘Spirit of the Dragonfly’ calling it into the lower chakras, the energy can stir up this trapped energy, which has been manifesting itself through the body, we can get it moving again.

This removal is not really painful, in fact it is less painful than having all this trapped energy attracting more of the same. If you do not know a person who is empowered with the Dragonfly Spirit to help you through the process, call upon the energy of the Dragonfly Spirit through your mind.

Think about the energy moving through the lower chakras, infusing them with clear brilliant colours, which you can use refecting from the wings of the dragonfly for additional potency, and well being.

You may feel a little emotional, this is a good sign it shows the process is working it does not take long for the energy to clear, and you need to be feeling these emotions, cry yell, stamp you feet, do whatever it takes to get that energy up and away, always bearing in mind you have a powerful companion in the form of the Spirit of the Dragonfly working within you, and for you, and supporting you during this process.

If you do not feel confident or afraid about carrying out this process on you own you should consult a registered alternative healer, or other qualified therapist before engaging in this sort of healing work. It is a true sign of oneself to know when you require help and go out and seek it.

If you do need any assistance in finding a qualified you can find the regulatory authorities on the web, or you can contact us directly and we shall give you the details of you nearest registered qualified healer, all our services are free, we are here to help you whenever you need us.

People working with The Spirit of the Dragonfly often work using crystals and other semiprecious stones, where energy can be drawn from the bright colours and the bright inclusions within the stones, all ‘Dragonfly People’ can boost their energy and lift their spirits by including the stones throughout their homes, and a feeling of well being throughout the household can be achieved. Sunstone is particularly if they are of good quality, with many sparkling inclusions.

Just as the Dragonfly, it can be some considerable time for your transformation to take place, from Nymph grubbing about below the surface to sparkling new Dragonfly, with the freedom to propel yourself into the bright new world, At times it will seem difficult or even impossible, but just think of the metamorphosise of the dragonfly, and remember always you are gradually empowering yourself, and these changes are growing stronger little by little every day, and you are learning to know and understand more about yourself.

You will come out into the daylight with Higher Power and Spirit, which will always remain inside you, and continue to grow, as you continue in the Knowledge of Your Inner Self and the Power of the Universe.

This power is within your Soul and Spirit, and the Energy is from Our Universe, how we interpret this is from our inner self, there are many paths to follow, the freedom to follow your paths is what you are looking to achieve, experience and follow.

We ask you only to use your new power wisely and help us to help others. The Spirit of the Dragonfly is a very powerful spirit, we are upon this planet for such a short time, and we are never too old to make this transformation.

About the Author:
There are other articles on this topic on our website. You can also find some dragonfly paperweights on our website, which may help you keep the spirit of the dragonfly in mind. Peter. Real Alternative Site – for alternative gifts

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Spirit Of The Dragonfly

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