Like many insects, dragonflies have three life stages: the egg, larval and adult stages.

During the different stages, the morphological structure of their bodies is very different, and their behavioral habits are also significantly different.

Dragonflies live most of their lives in the water, growing underwater for 2 to 3 years before reaching the adult stage, when they grow their wings.

1.Larval stage

The eggs of dragonflies certainly do not eat, and begin to predate in the larval stage, the larvae of dragonflies are generally called wake-worms, also called larvae.

Dragonflies have not yet grown wings, but they can swim quickly and freely in the water and walk through the submerged mud.

Therefore, at this time they can prey on a wide range of small aquatic worms and insect larvae or eggs, such as mayfly larvae, mosquito larvae (tsetse), snails, aquatic beetles, etc., and even small fish.

2.Adult stage

The adult dragonflies have a long and slender body like a stick, with two pairs of strong and powerful wings, enabling them to fly fast in the air at speeds of up to 30km/hr.

A pair of large and prominent compound eyes occupy a large part of the head, and their keen vision enables them to accurately locate and hunt prey flying in the air.

They can prey on mosquitoes, bees or other flying insects that are easy to kill.

The eyes of dragonflies are particularly sensitive to moving objects and can determine the direction and speed of prey movement based on the direction and time it takes for a small flying insect to move from one small eye to another.

When an object suddenly appears, it takes 0.05 seconds for the human eye to see the outline, but the dragonfly does not need 0.01 seconds to see it clearly.

Therefore, it is easy for dragonflies to catch their prey.

The eyes of insects have unique characteristics, each eye is almost always thousands of small hexagonal eyes closely arranged together.

Moreover, each small eye has its own unique system, each with a refractive system and sensory cells with vision.

This strange eye is known as a "compound eye" in zoology.

The main activities of dragonflies are in rivers and wells near farmland, which are characterized by relatively gentle water flow and large watersheds, rich in aquatic plants and zooplankton, with more food available for dragonflies to feed on and a relatively large number of species and quantities.

In addition to feeding on other insects, dragonflies also have the habit of feeding on each other as adults between species.

When they hunt, they grab their prey, and the large number of coarse hairs on their feet helps them to hold on to their prey so that they cannot escape.

The mouthparts are also well-developed, allowing them to bite their prey, facilitating feeding and enabling them to eat as much food as they weigh within 30 minutes.

Dragonflies never move around at night, usually resting on blades of grass, and are most active during the day when it is cloudy or when the sun is going down!

In particular, dragonflies are most abundant in July and August every year, often in large groups and in huge numbers!