Not dragonflies

I would like to respond to the rather condescending letters [‘Dragonflies, maybe?’ FT347:75] telling me what the writers think I ought to have seen but ignoring what I actually saw, in reply to my letter about – and sketch of – a strange insect [ FT237:77]. I am a country girl born and bred, and still am. I have seen thousands of insects over the years and hundreds of dragonflies, soaring, flying eating, mating, dying and in my house. Nothing about them resembled the creature that I saw in 1960 or 1961, that is forever seared in my mind. It passed my head spinning and making a whirring sound, which is why at the time I thought someone had shot an arrow at me. It was 6in (15cm) long and shuttlecock-shaped.

I had a good look at it as it settled on the door. It had a round bullet-shaped black head, with a black shiny ruff around the neck, and about six long ribbonlike tendrils about half an inch (13mm) wide. These looked like satin, very shiny, and were alternate black and red. There was no sign of wings or legs. (I have kept the sketch I made at the time). I still thought that it was an arrow of some kind until it flew off to the back of my house. At this point I was completely unnerved and ran into the house and locked the door. I have inquired at museums and looked at reference books galore, but have never seen anything remotely like it. If I had encountered it yesterday, I would have seen it as some sort of drone, but of course nothing like that existed back then. Ruth Summersides By email