Dragonfly FAQ

Here are some common questions about dragonflies:

What do dragonflies eat?
Adult dragonflies mostly eat other flying insects, particularly midges and mosquitoes. They also will take butterflies, moths and smaller dragonflies. The larvae, which live in water, eat almost any living thing smaller than themselves. Larger dragonfly larvae sometimes eat small fish or fry. Usually they eat bloodworms or other aquatic insect larvae.
How many kinds of dragonflies and damselflies are there?
How long do they live?
What enemies do dragonflies and damselflies have?
How can I tell a dragonfly from a damselfly?
Damselflies are usually slim, their forewings and hindwings narrow at the base and have similar shapes, and their eyes are widely separated. Most species hold their wings above the abdomen when they are resting. Dragonflies are larger. Their eyes touch near the top of their head. The wings do not narrow at the base; the forewings and hindwings differ in shape. When they are resting, the wings are usually spread.
What are the biggest dragonfly and damselfly?
The Megaloprepus coerulatus damselfly of Central America has a wingspan up to 19 cm. The bulkiest known dragonfly is Petalura ingentissima from Australia, with a wingspan up to 16 cm. Extinct fossil dragonflies with wingspans up to 70-75 cm have been identified.
What is the smallest dragonfly?
Several dragonflies in the genus Agriocnemis have a wingspan of just 17-18 mm. (7/10 inch).
How fast can a dragonfly fly?
It is estimated that the top speed for a dragonfly is between 30 and 60 km/h (19 to 38 m.p.h.). The maximum fspeed varies a lot between different species, with bigger dragonflies generally flying faster than smaller ones.
How long have dragonflies been around?
About 300 million years. Huge dragonflies were flying when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Where do dragonflies live?
Dragonflies start their life in water, therefore they are often found near water: ponds, lakes, canals, streams, rivers and swamps. Some dragonflies with a short larvae cycle (a few weeks) also can live in rain puddles. Since dragonflies are very good flyers they can sometimes be found a very long way from water.
Do dragonflies bite or sting?
No, although large dragonflies will sometimes try to bite, but they fail to break the skin.

Dragonfly Facts