Billions of Dragonflies Swarm Horrified Beachgoers
"I was enjoying a nice day until we endured a dragonfly apocalypse."
Beachgoers in Rhode Island were both amused and horrified when a massive swarm of dragonflies descended upon a popular beach over the weekend, sending some running for cover.
The incident occurred at Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, RI on Saturday afternoon. According to Boston's WCVB NewsCenter 5, the beach was crowded at the time of the so-called "invasion." "I was enjoying a nice day at Misquamicut State Beach until we endured a dragonfly apocalypse," said one witness, Stephanie Martin, who captured footage of the swarm.
In the video, children can be heard screaming as the flying insects swarmed everywhere. Several adults likewise could be seen documenting the mayhem with their phones.
Would you stay or go? ⛱️????⁉️ Dragonflies swarmed a busy Rhode Island beach on Saturday -- you can hear children screaming as they flew past. https://t.co/xSc1cvImf9 pic.twitter.com/KnhPNf3UUI
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) July 28, 2024
However, while the sight of thousands of insects swarming around you may be jarring, dragonflies are generally harmless to humans. Per BBC Wildlife, dragonflies will bite humans when "severely provoked," but even then only the largest of the insects are able to break human skin.
But as far as why the dragonflies suddenly swarmed a crowded beach, entomology expert Christine Goforth told Boston's WBUR public radio back in 2019 that the flying insects—which feed on smaller bugs such as mosquitoes—will sometimes pause their migration to feed.
“Dragonfly swarms are big groups of dragonflies that are typically feeding on little prey insects," Goforthsaid at the time. "So you can get anywhere from a dozen to millions or even billions of dragonflies flying together in these big groups."
NEW: Swarm of supersized dragonflies invade Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 29, 2024
Beachgoers were seen ducking for cover while others tried swatting them away as the swarm took over the beach.
The insects can travel in swarms of billions, so large that the swarms can show up on… pic.twitter.com/GoUj0ygA2G
In fact, swarms of dragonflies can be so massive that it's not even unusual for them to occasionally show up on weather radar. Though, it's not exactly the forecast one might typically check before heading to the beach.