![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Bead-like eyes provide 360–degree stereovision, allowing them the ability to spot insects in any direction without turning or moving their heads. Their four gossamer wings move independently of one another, giving them the ability to fly forward, backward, and sideways, or to just hover in place. With keen eyesight and expert airmanship, dragonflies and damselflies easily outmaneuver and catch insect prey. They may spend five years or more in the larval stage, molting several times before emerging as adults-and then living only a few weeks to a few months. Surprisingly, these brilliantly colored masters of the air are classified as aquatic insects because they spend most of their lives as larvae underwater among plants or in silt. ![]() Who hasn’t marveled at the aerial abilities of dragonflies as they glide effortlessly over sparkling streams, pristine ponds, and lakes, plucking insects from the air with deadly precision? Dragonfly Facts and Life Cycle The dragonfly and its smaller cousin, the damselfly, belong to an ancient order of insects known as Odonata and have carried symbolic meaning for centuries. Most people love to have dragonflies in their gardens, if only because dragonflies love to eat mosquitoes. ![]()
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