Dragonflies are magnificent flying insects, instantly recognizable by their immense compound eyes and shimmering wings. These aerial acrobats are desirable visitors because they are voracious predators of smaller flying pests. While the larval stage requires standing water, adult dragonflies are fully terrestrial and travel significant distances seeking food and warm resting spots. Attracting these beneficial adults, even without a pond, relies on optimizing the non-aquatic elements of their temporary habitat. The focus shifts to providing a consistent food supply and ideal structures for their unique predatory behavior.
Managing Prey Sources
The primary incentive for an adult dragonfly to visit a dry area is the availability of prey, as they are efficient hunters with a capture success rate approaching 97%. Dragonflies consume a wide range of flying insects, including gnats, midges, and smaller flies. The most reliable method for creating a consistent food source is by cultivating plants that attract a high volume of these smaller insects.
A diverse selection of native, pollinator-friendly plants will draw in the insects that constitute the dragonfly diet. Species such as asters, coneflowers, goldenrod, and milkweed attract bees, moths, and other small flies that dragonflies hunt on the wing. By creating a “feeding station” for these smaller organisms, you establish a hunting ground that adult dragonflies will instinctively seek out. This strategy uses the natural food chain to motivate their temporary visits.
Providing Vertical Perching Structures
Dragonflies are categorized as “perchers,” meaning they spend time resting on elevated structures to survey territory and regulate body temperature. These insects are cold-blooded and require external heat from the sun to warm their flight muscles before they can hunt effectively. Providing high, sun-exposed perches is a strong attractor.
Perching structures should be bare, thin, and positioned in open areas that receive direct sunlight throughout the day. Placing bamboo stakes, metal rods, or thin, dead branches into the ground at heights ranging from 18 inches up to 12 feet offers ideal vantage points. These vertical elements serve as launch platforms for aerial attacks and return spots for consuming captured prey. Large, flat rocks placed in sunny spots also function as basking platforms, helping dragonflies warm their bodies and prepare for flight.
Selecting Appropriate Shelter Plants
While exposed perching spots are useful for hunting and thermoregulation, adult dragonflies also require dense vegetation for safe resting and protection from unfavorable weather. These areas provide refuge from strong winds, heavy rain, and potential predators. The goal is to offer a vertical structure that emphasizes density and cover.
Tall, dense, native grasses and thick shrubs are excellent choices for providing necessary shelter. Plants like Joe-Pye weed, certain varieties of Rudbeckia, and tall ornamental grasses offer a windbreak and a place to rest undisturbed. These plants should be positioned to create pockets of calm air and shade adjacent to the open hunting areas. Providing this layered habitat variety ensures the dragonflies feel secure enough to remain in the area for extended hunting periods.
Ensuring a Safe Environment
The most immediate threat to adult dragonflies is the introduction of chemical agents into their environment. Dragonflies are highly sensitive to insecticides, which can eliminate both the insect itself and its essential food sources. Avoiding the use of broad-spectrum pesticides, mosquito foggers, and chemical sprays is fundamental to maintaining a hospitable environment.
Pesticides like neonicotinoids and fipronil can have devastating effects on insect populations, which directly impacts the food available to a visiting dragonfly. Maintaining an organic landscape ensures that the prey you attract will not be toxic to the larger predators. Minimizing external light pollution after dusk is also advisable, as excessive artificial lighting can disrupt the natural activity cycles of the smaller flying insects that dragonflies prey upon.