Dragons and Damsels

Dragonflies and damselflies are some of the insect world's most voracious and beneficial predators, swooping high and low to snatch prey out of the air. Members of the Odonata family, these similar-yet-different fast fliers are great pest control insects to have about your yard. While both can eat hundreds of mosquitoes and gnats in a single day, there are several key differences about these talented hunter.

Typically smaller than their dragon counterparts, damselflies are slender and streamlined. An easy way to differentiate them from dragonflies is the way they land and rest: where dragonflies sit with their wings sprawled flat and outwards, damselflies hold their wings upright and together in a more compact formation. Damselflies are considered weak fliers, fluttering about if held in the air for too long.

Blue-Tipped Dancer, "Argia tibialis"

Another key difference between dragons and damsels is their eyes. While dragonflies typically have larger eyes that are closer together on their bodies, damselflies have smaller eyes in comparison that are separated by a small gap. In general, it's fair to say that while dragonflies were made to be powerful, fast predators of the insect kingdom, damsels were made to be more sightly. In my experience, it is much easier to get a good picture of a damselfly than it is a dragonfly. The smaller of the two are more capable of staying in place for a decent amount of time, and when they do fly up and out of the way, they usually land again fairly quickly and in a nearby area.

Dragonflies, on the other hand, are clearly built for their deadly combination of speed and power. Alongside their adeptness in the air, so much so that they are one of few insects that are capable of flying backwards, dragonflies have definitely earned their namesake. Some species of dragonflies can reach flight speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, completely blindsiding any prey they come across. Their compound eyes, made up of thousands of individual light-receiving cones, can detect minute changes in the air around them. Even further, many species can see colors beyond what humans and most other animals can, with some species owning between 12 and 30 visual opsins.

You're likely to come across both dragonflies and damselflies in a variety of environments: from open fields to cluttered forests. However, by far their favorite locale is anywhere with an abundance of water. Whether it be a stream, river, pond or lake, both dragonflies an damselflies flock to the water for a multitude of reasons.

Red-Veined Meadowhawk, "Sympetrum madidum"

Both creatures lay their eggs in the water, and their hatchlings, called nymphs, remain water-bound until they mature into fully fledged adults. Even in their juvenile, flightless forms, dragon and damselfly nymphs are predatory by nature. Many feast on other water-loving invertebrates like water beetles, worms, and mosquito larvae. The bigger and more voracious nymphs can catch small fish, tadpoles, and even crayfish. However, despite these predators' nature, they don't typically pose a threat to humans unless provoked. Dragonflies have been known to bite if threatened, but cannot sting like a bee or wasp, and their bites don't contain any venom like a spider's.

The next time you hit the trails, or maybe even just the next time you step out into a park, take note of the flitting dragonflies and damselflies around you. With so many different species and colorations, these incredible and beautiful insects deserve our attention and admiration as a natural method of pest control.