{"id":2315998,"date":"2024-07-30T12:38:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T16:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biblical-scene-at-rhode-island-beach-as-plague-of-insects-swarms-terrified-vacationers\/"},"modified":"2024-07-30T12:42:48","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T16:42:48","slug":"biblical-scene-at-rhode-island-beach-as-plague-of-insects-swarms-terrified-vacationers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biblical-scene-at-rhode-island-beach-as-plague-of-insects-swarms-terrified-vacationers\/","title":{"rendered":"Biblical Scene at Rhode Island Beach as Plague of Insects Swarms Terrified Vacationers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiblical-scene-at-rhode-island-beach-as-plague-of-insects-swarms-terrified-vacationers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2315998&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A bizarre event reminiscent of a biblical plague \u200dunfolded at Misquamicut State\u200c Beach in Rhode Island, where millions of dragonflies descended\u200b upon beachgoers last weekend, causing panic and viral <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media<\/a> footage. Witnesses expressed astonishment as \u2063the swarm took over, transforming a calm day into a surreal scene. Locals reported that the dragonflies \u200dappeared \u2064suddenly, creating \u200dclouds of insects that prompted many to\u2063 flee. Environmental experts speculated that a combination of \u2063factors, including a good breeding year, recent storms, and warm oceanic temperatures, may\u2062 have influenced this unusual\u200c migration. The dragonflies, while initially alarming, are known to \u2062help control \u200dmosquito populations, and their sudden presence was also noted at the nearby\u2063 Newport Folk Festival. Scientists continue to investigate \u200bthe reasons behind this significant swarm.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section>\n<p>A scene straight from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-the-bible-still-relevant\/\" title=\"Is the Bible Still Relevant?\">biblical book<\/a> of Exodus played out on an American beach last weekend, sending vacationers fleeing before a swarm of ravenous insects.<\/p>\n<p>The invasion was caught on camera, creating an instant viral video.<\/p>\n<p>People relaxing at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/severely-decomposed-bodies-found-home-former-rhode-island-mayor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rhode Island<\/a>&lsquo;s Misquamicut State Beach on Saturday had no indication that the day was about to take a radical turn, but things soon started to change as millions of dragonflies showed up.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;One minute everything was calm,&rdquo; beachgoer Nicole Taylor told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfsb.com\/2024\/07\/29\/dragonflies-invade-misquamicut-beach-rhode-island\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WFSB<\/a>. &ldquo;The next minute I saw the most dragonflies I&rsquo;ve ever seen in my life.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It lasted for like 3 minutes, and then they were gone. It was a very strange experience.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Videos of the insect swarm have been posted across social media, gaining millions of total views. Some beachgoers in the the videos can be seen being driven to flee in the face of the dragonflies.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Would you stay or go? &#9969;&#65039;&#129300;&#8265;&#65039; Dragonflies swarmed a busy Rhode Island beach on Saturday &mdash; you can hear children screaming as they flew past. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xSc1cvImf9\">https:\/\/t.co\/xSc1cvImf9<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KnhPNf3UUI\">pic.twitter.com\/KnhPNf3UUI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WCVB\/status\/1817574804469195115?\">July 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was weird,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/american-man-disappears-vacation-strange\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vacationer<\/a> Paula Bellavance told WFSB. &ldquo;It was like there was a couple, and then there was more and then it was just like they were coming from the ocean, and we&rsquo;re just trying to process, &lsquo;Wow, what is going on,&rsquo; and you look up, and there&rsquo;s thousands in the air and all around you.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Clouds of dragonflies were also reported at the nearby Newport Folk Festival, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.providencejournal.com\/story\/news\/environment\/2024\/07\/29\/dragonflies-swarm-ris-misquamicut-beach-rhode-island-see-the-video\/74584802007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Providence Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While the appearance of this swarm might bring to mind visions of the ten plagues cast upon ancient Egypt, dragonflies play a beneficial and thankless role in the food chain.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps most relevant to people is the insect&rsquo;s hunger for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/researchers-conduct-vaccine-trials-box-mosquitoes-like-1000-small-flying-syringes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mosquitos<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists are still struggling to understand why the unusually large swarm appeared in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What I suspect is happening,&rdquo; Rhode Island Natural History Survey&rsquo;s Executive Director David Gregg told the Providence Journal, &ldquo;is a combination of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-one-hundred-days-of-hubris\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s One Hundred Days of Hubris\">good year<\/a> for this species, a particularly big population, then a decline in their resources, and it triggers them to move and try to find a better place to be.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Another dragonfly expert asserted the flying insects were using the coastline as a visual landmark while traveling between habitats, perhaps being pushed to a low altitude after encountering a storm.<\/p>\n<p>Rhode Island is not the only state where the dragonfly swarm made an appearance &mdash; the insects were also seen in neighboring Connecticut over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Associate scientist Gale Ridge of Connecticut&rsquo;s Agricultural Experiment Station speculated that warm oceanic temperatures acting alongside the wind may have made the swarm advance on the beach.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These are green donna dragonflies that are commuting possibly from Canada, and they may have been pushed on shore by the wind,&rdquo; Ridge told WFSB.<\/p>\n<p>Ridge stated the dragonflies could simply be stopping by the shoreline for a meal of mosquitos before resuming travel.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the case may be, the millions of insects made for an impressive sight.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); 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In some clips, beachgoers can be seen fleeing from the onslaught of dragonflies. &#8220;It was bizarre,&#8221; said vacationer Paula Bellavance to WFSB. &#8220;At first there were just a few, then more came as if they were emerging from the ocean. We were just trying to comprehend what was happening while looking up at thousands flying around us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Clouds of dragonflies were also reported at the nearby Newport Folk Festival, according to the Providence Journal. While such an event might evoke images of biblical plagues in ancient Egypt, dragonflies actually play a crucial role in controlling mosquito populations and maintaining ecological balance.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists are still investigating why this unusually large swarm occurred. David Gregg, Executive Director of Rhode Island Natural History Survey, suggested that it could be due to favorable conditions for this species combined with resource depletion that prompted them to migrate in search of better habitats.<\/p>\n<p>Another expert noted that these insects may have been using coastal landmarks during their journey between habitats and could have been pushed down by stormy weather conditions. The phenomenon wasn&#8217;t limited to Rhode Island; similar swarms were spotted in neighboring Connecticut over the weekend as well.<\/p>\n<p>Gale Ridge from Connecticut\u2019s Agricultural Experiment Station speculated that warm ocean temperatures and wind patterns might have driven these green donna dragonflies towards shorelines after possibly traveling from Canada for food before continuing their journey elsewhere. Regardless of their reasons for gathering en masse, their presence created quite an impressive spectacle on the beach<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Beach-Bug-invasion.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6050,11012,36649,36648,20860],"class_list":["post-2315998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-beach","tag-biblical","tag-plague-of-insects","tag-rhode-island","tag-vacationers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Beach-Bug-invasion.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2315998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2315998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2315998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2315998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2315998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2315998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}