Dragonflies & Damselflies
Order: Odonata
Dragonflies and damselflies are familiar visitors around ponds, gardens, and open spaces, but the adults we see in the air are only part of their story.
Long before they can take flight , they live underwater as aquatic nymphs—hunting, growing, and molting until the time comes to leave the water behind.
Dragonfly or Damselfly
Dragonfly
Dragonflies have sturdier bodies, large eyes that often meet or nearly meet, and rest with their wings held open.
Damselfly
Damselflies are usually more slender, with widely separated eyes. Most rest with their wings folded together or held partly closed above the abdomen.