I'm at a real loss when it comes to identifying dragonflies and with over 450 varieties in North America I don't think I'm going to improve very soon. This 'brown dragonfly' was shot near a pond and drew my attention because it actually lit and stayed still long enough to get a shot! Dragonfly facts: Dragonflies are ancient insects. They have existed on Planet Earth for approximately 300 million years. Today, they look very much like they did in "dinosaur times," though they have gradually gotten smaller since then. The largest dragonfly fossil (one of the earliest) had a wingspan of nearly three feet. That makes it the largest flying insect in known history.

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