Do a Dragon fly Sting or Bite

[welshboy]

Hi' I just like to know do a dragon fly sting or bite because i get them around my fish pond Thanks.Mark

[Boddie]

No, you'll be fine

[triops]

No, dragonflies do not sting or bite. None of them, and not ever, despite the horror stories some people tell about them. In Turkey one day I was warned about them by a man who claimed one had put him in hospital for two days.
If you are ever lucky enough to handle one (carefully, they are fragile), let it bite your finger. It will nip, but cannot break your skin.

[welshboy]

Hi' Thanks for your reply, i can sit down at ease nowMark

[earthdragon64]

Dragonflies don't sting, but they can bite and draw blood when caught if not handled correctly. If a Dragonfly lands on you, it will just sit there quite happily until it flies off, without biting, so please don't worry about the ones around your fish pond.

Last year I was out on a walk with other members of Butterfly Conservation and one member netted a Southern Hawker Dragonfly. I took it out of the net, and after checking it wasn't recently emerged so wouldn't be damaged by my holding it, held it resting along my finger for the others on the walk to see. It then bit me and actually drew blood, not much but enough to make sure that I'll keep the mouth parts out of range of my fingers in future.

This was completely my own fault, in normal circumstances Dragonflies won't bite at all.

Regards, Audrey.

[welshboy]

Hi Audrey' Thanks for your time to write about them.I feel better now they don't cause any bites or stings.If i can now i will try and catch one with the camera.Mark

[AndyC]

Even damsel flies are capable of biting, not drawing blood true but they will have a go. Usually of course they just fly off but if you can find one settled somewhere inching your little finger towards it slowly can sometimes provoke an attack!


Andy

[artdemole]

Got bitten once whilst fishing.Hand swelled up and was put on antibiotics.

[~T~]

Originally Posted by artdemole

Got bitten once whilst fishing.Hand swelled up and was put on antibiotics.

Sounds like some sort of allergic reaction. If you handle one roughly it will bite.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by artdemole

Got bitten once whilst fishing.Hand swelled up and was put on antibiotics.

I've never heard of anything like this!

Dragonflies rarely, if ever, bite (unless handled), and when they do they don't tend to draw blood (it's always been no more than a 'pinch' when they've bitten me).