Dragonflies

Dragonflies are commonly seen on warm summer days. Dragonflies like other insects are cold blooded, and need to bath in the sun to warm up before they take to flight.

Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa 

Dragonflies are large aerial predatory insects whose speed and agility are unrivalled in the insect world. These attributes allow them to catch small flying insects in mid air and eat them while in flight. Dragonflies are commonly found close to freshwater habitats. Having a pond in your garden will more than likely attract these insects.

Dragonflies have two pairs of transparent veined wings. A distinctive feature is their large compound eyes, located to give them a field of vision of almost 360 degrees.

Dragonfly Remains found in Garden Showing Large Compound Eyes & Two Pairs of Wings

Dragonflies are territorial and will drive off the competition. When a couple mate the pair will form a wheel position. The male holds onto the back of the females’ head with claspers at the end of his abdomen, while the female raises her abdomen to beneath his body.

Dragonflies in the wheel position are often seen as this process is not slow. The male before transfering his own sperm will remove any other from previous matings. After mating the male follows the female to ensure this process is not repeated by another male, and in some species this will continue until the female lays her eggs.

Dragonflies can be seen in non freshwater habitats such as woodlands, but they have to return to water to breed as their larvae are aquatic. The female lays her eggs during the summer which hatch the next spring.

The larvae or nymphs like the adults are formidable predators. They live in the mud of slow moving rivers and ponds. Unlike the adults they are not bright but camouflaged as they are not fast moving. Instead they wait and ambush their prey.

Their prey are any small water creatures such as tadpoles. These they catch by firing out their fearsome jaws and gripping the prey with pincers.

Depending on the species the nymph may take up to three years before reaching adulthood. Over this period the nymph molts its skin to grow. In mid summer the nymph crawls out of the pond. Here it makes its last moult, emerging as an adult.