Massive dragonfly swarms delight some beachgoers, terrify others
Beachgoers in Rhode Island expecting fun in the sun Saturday got more than they bargained for when millions of dragonflies swarmed in from the ocean in a sight some called spectacular and others called apocalyptic.
In numerous video clips shared on social media, hordes of dragonflies briefly invaded beaches across the state. At Misquamicut State Beach, video shows people screaming and panicking as they were surrounded by the insects.
But Abbe Ciulla, who visits South Shore Beach two to three times a week during the summer months, said people around her were “awestruck” when the dragonflies arrived.
“I’ve never seen anything else like it before. It was really special - like a beautiful shared experience with nature,” Ciulla, 40, told The Washington Post. She recorded and posted a video of the dragonflies, which has received 185,000 views, on her TikTok account.
The yoga studio owner said it appeared as though the dragonflies were coming from the ocean around 4 p.m. as the wind shifted. Some brushed against her hair, and others rested on beachgoers’ knees or toes briefly. The whole experience lasted about five minutes, she said.
Some people weren’t as excited as Ciulla.
“I was enjoying a nice day at Misquamicut State Beach until we endured a dragonfly apocalypse,” beachgoer Stephanie Martin told WCVB5.
Many people online suggested that the event had a spiritual meaning.
“They are giving us a message,” one person wrote in the replies to Ciulla’s TikTok post. Another said it was heaven’s gates opening.
The blue dasher dragonflies were most likely not migrating, according to David W. Gregg, executive director of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey.
“They were most likely looking for better habitat. They are especially territorial and defend little patches of pond shore,” Gregg told The Post.
He said a milder winter has probably contributed to more dragonflies hatching this year. “Central Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been in a drought the last couple of weeks,” he said. “What happened was their ponds started to dry up and the mosquito population started to decline, and suddenly it put pressure on them.”
Typically these dragonflies don’t move in swarms, but it can happen, according to Gregg. The beach is not a good habitat for dragonflies, so they were probably moving north.
Gregg says there’s nothing to fear about a dragonfly swarm.
“People shouldn’t be afraid. They don’t bite or sting. The worst thing that can happen is they eat all the mosquitoes.”
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