Watch: Dragonflies swarm Rhode Island beach
Video from Saturday at Misquamicut State Beach shows sunbathers relaxing before the dragonflies flood the already crowded beach.
Dragonflies swarm beach in Rhode Island
A Rhode Island beach was overtaken by dragonflies on Saturday, sending people running and covering up as the fast fliers zipped overhead. (Video courtesy of Mark Stickney)
WESTERLY, R.I. – Beachgoers in Rhode Island were just looking for a relaxing Saturday afternoon before a swarm of dragonflies took over, sending people to shelter under their tents and towels.
Video from Saturday in Westerly at Misquamicut State Beach shows sunbathers relaxing before the dragonflies flood the already crowded beach.
Dragonflies take over a Rhode Island beach on Saturday.
(Michael Grover/Facebook)
Screaming and shouting can be heard as the insects zoom past. Others ran to try to shelter from the swarm.
Michael Grover called it a "dragonfly apocalypse" as he shot this video of them invading the beach.
Dragonflies invade Misquamicut State Beach in Rhode Island
Beachgoers were in for quite the surprise as a swarm of dragonflies invaded their beach day in Rhode Island on Saturday. (Video courtesy of Michael Grover)
Entomologists say that dragonflies migrate as early as July and continue through October.
"Large groups will move south from Canada and the northern U.S. to Mexico and the Gulf coast. As they migrate, they will frequently stop to feed, and the journey can take several weeks. Cold fronts will also help propel them southward," biologists at the University of Illinois said about dragonfly migration in 2022.