Strange footage was captured on camera last weekend as a swarm of dragonflies transformed a Rhode Island coast into a scene reminiscent of a biblical plague.
A seemingly endless swarm of dragonflies descended on Misquamicut Beach in Westerly on Saturday, sending swarms of the insects buzzing across the beach, under umbrellas and chairs, in people’s faces and between their legs.
“We were having a beautiful day at Misquamicut State Beach when we had to endure an infestation of dragonflies,” witness Stephanie Martin said. He told WCVB.
Some beachgoers ducked for cover, while others ran from the sand into their cars.
Some children stopped to laugh at the incredible sight, some screamed, some used shovels and water buckets to shoo away insects as they passed by.
Another witness, Richard Sontag, called the incident an “invasion.”
Dragonfly swarms tend to form in the summer when insects are breeding, or after disturbances in the weather or human activity blow the tiny insects they feed on into the air. According to WBUR.
There can be billions of dragonflies in a swarm, and when the swarm becomes so large, it can be detected by radar systems.
Dragonflies primarily feed on mosquitoes and a variety of flies, but have also been known to prey on small mammals such as hummingbirds.
They are not dangerous to humans.
