Why Missouri Is Suddenly Seeing So Many Dragonflies

This wouldn't affect someone like me who has a short attention span, but my expectation is that you notice more things than I do. For example, you're probably seeing a lot more dragonflies in Missouri right now, right? There's a scientific reason why that's the case.

I'm not proud to admit that this is a sight that used to terrify me when I was a child

Bob Brewer via Unsplash

Farmer's Almanac says this is the time of year when Missouri starts seeing a big uptick in dragonfly appearances. They even shared this helpful map to explain why.

Infographic, Farmer's Almanac

Hold on a second while I Google "Black Saddlebags". In my world, we call them dragonflies, but that's just my simple 2nd grade-level mind talking. I was not aware that dragonflies migrate, but that's not surprising since these beautiful insects don't enjoy the cold winters in Missouri. I didn't realize that the Mississippi River corridor between Missouri and Illinois is one of the primary flight paths to the south, but that makes sense.

Now that I think about it, I have noticed more of these dragonflies in our yard as I've been getting late summer tasks completed. I would guess most of these "black saddlebags" will be gone from our area by the time October and the chillier weather arrives. Why? Because nature happens whether people like me are paying attention or not.