lovebugs gone, but now...
 

What are the 1 1/2 - 2 inch long flying insects that look like attack helicopters? They come our mid-afternoon and swarm till evening. Not as annoying as lovebugs but they're BIGGER!

I believe that they are dragonflies. They are here today and gone tomorrow.

Oh My, the crazy hairy ants are moving in.

They won't hurt you philnpat. Down south we call them "snake doctors".

From Wikipedia: " Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, wasps, and very rarely butterflies. They are usually found around marshes, lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs", are aquatic beings"

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I'll take all those bugs over the roof rats (aka, fruit rats, citrus rats, gray rats) that are taking over the Villages . . . they love to live in Orlander plants and the Palm trees that are not trimmed up (the beards)

How about these?
 

There are two other critters here I've been curious about.... one is a large black flying insect with white polka dots (honest!)

The other is a bird rather like a blue jay... grey with white bands on it's wings. It perches on the tops of trees and has a lovely, enthusiastic song.
Anyone know what they are?

The bird is a mockingbird the Florida state bird! As far as the insect does it only come out after happy hour? LOL!

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

The insect is probably the oleander or polka dot wasp (actually is a moth). Oleander bushes get orange and black caterpillers (that can defoliate the bush quickly) and they pupate into these moths. At least, that's my recollection of the lifecycle. They don't bite or sting but keep the lifecycle going and are very difficult to get rid of on the oleander.

In the 5 years I've been here, these are the most dragonflies I've seen.....they are everywhere and really are quite beautiful!

Very short life cycle for the insects as adults, about 2 months. Their entire life cycle is about a year, but most of that is in various stages of growth.

Enjoy them, they're wonderful!

The Villages Miniature Air Force on scramble?
http://www.currentmilitaria.com/imag...30591589_0.jpg
:D Heading down in a few weeks. Hope to see you guys sometime afterward!

Glad to hear the dragonflies are harmless...there's a LOT of them!
The mockingbirds are amazing. What a melody! I love sitting out in the morning having my coffee being entertained by them.
The wasps with the white dots on their black wings also have red on the tip of their body. They seem to hang around the lantanas. Glad to hear they're harmless. See...all is good!

This evening I saw birds (swallows?) gobbling up some dragonflies on the fly. Pretty amazing! I am happy to hear the airborne insects are dragonflies and not grasshoppers, ugh!

When i run very early in the morning something dive bombs me. I can hear the wings very close to my head are there bats here or is it some bird that doesn't sleep

THAT would probably be a horsefly!! They love sweat, hair spray and all our good smelling stuff! They are particularly fond of horses a_ _ es! :0000000000luvmyhors

Unlike dragonflies, they do bite and it is painful!:cryin2: