Dragonflies: Mavericks of Mid-Air

A few facts about dragonflies: they hunt their prey, mate and lay eggs in mid-air. They have eyes that wrap around their head, giving them great visibility. They can fly straight up, straight down, hover like helicopters and disappear in a blur. And they’ve been around since before the dinosaurs, making them one of the most ancient groups of insects.

Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on dragonfly research by Harvard University’s Stacey Combes and her team for the National Science Foundation’s latest Science Nation.

*For the record, the National Science Foundation is an underwriter of the NewsHour.