Dragonfly

Dragonflies are some of the most skilled fliers in the insect world, able to hover, fly backward and catch prey in midair. Their huge compound eyes give them nearly all-around vision. Yet they spend most of their lives underwater as fierce larvae, called nymphs, before climbing up a plant stem and emerging as winged adults.

Follow every stage in our dragonfly life cycle guide, learn about dragonfly larvae, and find out whether dragonflies bite. Profiles cover the green darner, eastern pondhawk and their slender relative the damselfly, and there is also a free dragonfly coloring page for kids.

Start here: Dragonfly Life Cycle · What Do Dragonflies Eat? · How Long Do Dragonflies Live? · Blue Dragonfly · Dragonfly – One Of Nature’s Most Intriguing And Fascinating Insects · Red Dragonfly

  • Free Dragonfly Clip Art

    Dragonfly Clip Art FAQs Related: Free Dragonfly Coloring Page Randi JonesRandi Jones is the owner and founder of the Nature Gift Store, an online retailer specializing in nature-themed gifts, educational science projects, live animal nature kits and real butterfly artwork. A biology graduate who fell in love with insects, she founded the company in 2001…

  • Green Darner Dragonfly

    Scientific Classification & Quick Facts Common name Common green darner Scientific name Anax junius Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Odonata Family Aeshnidae Genus Anax Conservation status Least Concern Type Insect (dragonfly) Diet Flying insects such as mosquitoes, flies and moths Habitat Still water for breeding; roams far from water Native range North America,…

  • Eastern Pondhawk

    Eastern Pondhawk, also known as the common Pondhawk, is found in the United States and southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Eastern pondhawk Quick Facts Common name Eastern pondhawk Scientific name Erythemis simplicicollis Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Odonata Family Libellulidae Genus Erythemis Conservation status Least Concern Type Insect (dragonfly) Diet Damselflies and other…

  • Red Dragonfly

    Scientific Classification & Quick Facts Common name Red-veined darter Scientific name Sympetrum fonscolombii Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Odonata Family Libellulidae Genus Sympetrum Conservation status Least Concern Type Insect (dragonfly) Diet Mosquitoes, flies, butterflies; larvae eat tadpoles and small fish Habitat Near water to breed; also far from water Native range Southern and…

  • Blue Dragonfly

    Scientific Classification & Quick Facts Common name Blue dasher Scientific name Pachydiplax longipennis Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Odonata Family Libellulidae Genus Pachydiplax Conservation status Least Concern Type Insect (dragonfly) Diet Carnivore: mosquito larvae, flies, other insects Habitat Ponds, marshes, lakes and bogs Native range United States, Canada and Mexico Size Adults about…

  • Damselfly

    Damselflies are flying insects from the Odonata order and Zygoptera suborder. In appearance, they are quite similar to the Dragonflies that belong to the Anisoptera suborder, but are comparatively lighter in build than the latter ones. The Damselflies are believed to exist from the period of the Lower Permian, and are widely distributed on every…

  • Dragonfly Larvae

    A Dragonfly Insect belongs to the suborder Anisoptera, and to the Odonata order. It is small and fragile in appearance but is considered as a voracious predator. Researches on dragonfly reveal that they are one of the most effective, brutal hunters in the whole animal kingdom. A dragonfly larva is evolved from the hatched egg….

  • Types of Dragonflies

    Dragonflies, an amazing and unique insect is from the order Odonata and the Anisoptera suborder. The attractive characteristic of this creature is its multifaceted large eyes, elongated body, and four transparent and strong wings, with colored markings. They are often misunderstood as damselfly, which has a similar structure, but the latter has a slightly lower…

  • Dragonfly Facts

    There are lots of fun and interesting facts about dragonflies. Some facts about dragonflies are scientifically proven facts and some are actually myths about dragonflies that have been around for as long as hundreds of years. Can you tell the difference between the myths and the facts about dragonflies? Dragonfly Quick Facts Common name Dragonfly…