BUZZ KILL: A dragonfly hovers over a leaf outside the BankUnited Center on Wednesday afternoon. Recently, swarms of dragonflies have appeared around campus, mostly near bodies of water. Students are surprised by the insects, which gather near the Merrick Building and the School of Communication, among other locations.
“I have seen a million dragonflies in every grassy area,” sophomore Eliza Feldman said. “I really don’t know why they are there. They’re kind of gross, but they don’t really scare me.”
According to The Miami Herald, dragonflies make an annual north-to-south migration in South Florida. This year, however, their population is unusually large. These insects, though large and noisy, are harmless – they neither bite nor sting. Their dense population is actually beneficial, as the dragonflies feed on mosquitoes.