Dragonfly On The Wings Of Love

The dragonfly is a flying insect in the sub-order Anisoptera, this means unequal winged. Although the term ‘dragonflies’ can be used to describe the whole order Odonata (which in Greek means ‘toothed one), which also includes ‘Damselflies’ known as the sub-order Zygoptera.

Around 300 million years ago, dragonflies were one of the first winged insects to evolve. The ones you see today have a wingspan of around 2-5 inches, whereas dragonflies that were found as fossils had been found with a wingspan of up to two feet! There is a theory that some scientists think that high oxygen levels during the Palaeozoic era is what made them grow to this size.  

They spend most of their lives underwater, this is called the larval stage – this can last up to 2 years. They will eat anything from larvae to tadpoles. At the end of this stage, the dragonfly will emerge out of water. Its exoskeleton will open to release the abdomen, the wings will come out to harden and dry, this process can take somewhere between hours and days. Depending on the dragonfly, they can have a life span ranging from a few weeks up to a year.

You may see some of the smaller, colourful ones flying around, usually in numbers, these are called damselflies. They are a part of the dragonfly family, but there are ways to tell the difference between them.

Below you will see some comparisons of what makes these species different from one another.