Dragonflies have been around for over 300 million years. Fossils found from that time period show that the dragonflies haven’t changed much from then to now, the size is the biggest difference. They live for a while, some species of dragonflies can live for up to six years. Dragonflies are long insects with a wide wingspan, some have up to a 6 inch wingspan. They have strong wings and are excellent fliers, especially on sunny days. They can fly upside down as well as backwards and dragonflies are also strong hunters. Dragonflies are colorful creatures and their wings, while often transparent, can also have patterns. Dragonflies are not to be mistaken for damselflies. Their wing shape and position is different, they tend to live longer, and they are larger. Dragonflies are formidable yet gentle insects, possibly explaining how they’ve lived for so long.

Dragonflies usually hatch within 2-5 weeks. After they hatch they are now larvae or nymphs, and they will be nymphs for most of their lives. Nymphs are completely aquatic creatures, tending to live in calm waters, and they are skilled hunters. They eat other insect larvae, worms, snails, small fish, and crustaceans. Larger nymphs have also been known to eat smaller nymphs. For dragonflies, it’s hard to make it past the larvae stage, especially if you’re small. Nymphs get away from their predators by jet propulsion. They take in water through their abdomen and they eject it through their rectum, this enables them to escape predators and catch prey. Nymphs also have a long and strong lower jaw called a labium that helps them catch prey. It’s like a tucked away arm that can reach out and grab prey.

Nymphs grow a lot during this stage but they can’t do it freely because of their hard exoskeleton. They moult this exoskeleton soon after hatching and then again another 5-14 times. When they moult they grow fast before their new exoskeleton hardens. Wing sheaths start showing halfway in this stage. The final moult happens during emergence. This is when the nymph leaves the water for the first time goes to the nearest vegetation to transfer from larvae to adult. Starting the final moult, the carapace above the thorax starts to split and the head, thorax, legs, and wings start to ease out of the nymph exoskeleton. There is a 30 minute pause while the dragonfly waits for its legs to harden to support itself. After the legs harden, the dragonfly pulls its abdomen out and correctly places its wings. Dragonflies need heat to fly, so they will wait a while before taking their maiden fly. Their first fly isn’t long because their wings are still weak but they will become excellent fliers.

Adult dragonflies are helpful bugs. They can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes a day and they also eat other pesky summer bugs like gnats. Their large and close together eyes allow them to hunt well for them. Dragonflies, while fierce, don’t sting and they rarely bite, so they’re not a threat to humans. Dragonflies are nice, but they take mating very seriously. After a week or so, the adult dragonflies have become more colorful and have now reached sexual maturity. They move back to their fresh water ponds and start mating. Early emergers called chasers are territorial and aggressive. They tend to grab the females to mate, and the mating for them only lasts a few seconds. They mate in what is called “wheel position” where the male grabs the female by the back of the head and the female curls her abdomen to his genitalia. After mating, the male flies close by while she lays her eggs to protect her from getting taken by other males. Later emergers (the most common type or “skimmers”) often stay connected in tandem after mating to protect the female. Their mating also takes longer.

Females lay eggs by dipping their lower abdomens into water, each time laying eggs. They tend to place the eggs all over the water to increase the chance of some of them hatching. Some other females (hawkers) lay eggs close to the water in vegetation or even in wood. They have sickle shaped abdomens and are able to drill wood in to place their eggs. The lifespan of an adult dragonfly is short. Some species last no more than one or two weeks and others can last as long as 6-8 weeks. The last survivors tend to become prey to other animals, but they’ve laid hundreds of eggs that will carry on their genes.

Dragonflies are very formidable creatures. They are great hunters because of their nymph labium, good eyesight, and excellent flying. It’s not surprising that they have managed to live for over 300 million years, especially when you take into account their aggressive mating. Dragonflies are serious when it comes to getting food and mating, but dragonflies are gentle and harmless otherwise. They don’t sting and they rarely bite humans, they also protect us from mosquitoes and pesky insects. Dragonflies are interesting creatures because of their life cycle and dual nature. You might’ve thought dragonflies are predictable and boring but now, hopefully, you have a fuller picture.