Dragonflies are ideal hunting machines. More than 80 percent of their brain is used for processing visual information, and it is believed that some species can see objects up to 30 feet away and detect movement as far as 60 feet away.

And how do they direct these tremendous talents? Dragonflies hunt, and eat, a lot: They consume 10 percent to 15 percent of their own weight per day on insects such as mosquitoes, termites, deerflies, blackflies, horseflies and midges. They make welcome residents in the yard, as they’ll keep it far less buggy. Think of it as the insect equivalent of getting a cat to solve your mouse problem.