There are only around 26 British Species of dragonfly but they include some of our biggest and mainly day flying insects. They are easy to identify as they have two pairs of outstretched wings, large compound eyes, they are often iridescent colours and they have powerful flight that includes an ability to hover.
The immature nymphs live in water for up to five years, they are fierce hunters eating all sorts of animals including tadpoles and small fish. They have a strong lower jaw or mask, this jaw can extend to catch passing prey. The mask has hooks along its edge to help grab the prey.
There are two types of Dragonfly – the Darters and the Hawkers- this describes the way they hunt. The Darters have fatter and shorter bodies and they perch on reeds waiting for the prey to come past and then they dart out and catch them. The Hawkers are longer and thinner and they patrol up and down looking for prey on which to swoop.
Female Common Hawker Dragonfly
Both darters and Hawkers are brilliant flyers and can fly very fast and outmanouvre their prey.
Click here to see a photograph of a dragonfly on our Flickr site
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