HOW often in the summer have you watched a dragonfly, but never given much thought as to how they fly.

In fact, their range of flying skills have fascinated not only zoologists but aerodynamicists and structural engineers so that their flight is now the most studied of any insect order.

How they fly is to be given close attention by Dr Robin Wootton of the University of Exeter, at the Boniface Centre, Crediton on Saturday, March 17 at 2.30pm at a meeting of the DA Entomology Section.

Everyone is welcome to go along, entry is £2 for members, £3 for non-members. The title of Dr Wootton’s talk is The Beauty and Science of Dragonfly Flight. He will be using slides, models and video sequences to explore the diversity of damselfly and dragonfly flight techniques and behaviour and discuss how these are reflected in the variety of their wing and body designs.

Dr Wootton is an Honorary Fellow of Exeter University in Insect Biomechanics.

The next DA meeting at the Boniface Centre will be on March 24 when Simon Drew will be talking with the Literature and Art Section. He is known for his quirky greetings cards, calendars etc. He has a gallery in Dartmouth.

Sue Read