Dragonflies and damselflies are impressive flying machines. They have 4 wings which can be controlled independently, allowing them to perform amazing aerial feats. Sometimes, they will hover right in front of you, allowing you to inspect them while they inspect you. Dragonflies and damselflies are predators throughout their lives. Brightly colored in life, their colors fade considerably when they die.
Dragonfly - Flame Skimmer
Dragonflies are robust insects, capable of flying at great speeds. At rest dragonflies hold their wings at right angles to their bodies. Members of some species can perch with their wings swung forward and down.
Damselfly - Springwater Dancer
Compared to dragonflies, damselflies are generally small (a few species are comparable to medium sized dragonflies) and have thin, often blue and black patterned, delicate abdomens. Unlike dragonflies, perched damselflies hold their wings up over their backs either together or spread an angle of about 45 degrees. Damselflies spend a lot of time perched, and usually do not move very far when disturbed.
Odonates have a three stage life cycle - egg, juvenile (formerly called a nymph or naiad, now called a larva), and adult. The insects you recognize as dragonflies and damselflies are all adults.
Eggs are laid in or near the water. The juvenile insect is aquatic and feeds on live prey which may include pollywogs and small fish. In turn, juveniles are eaten by fish, reptiles and amphibians as well as other predatory insects. Depending on the species, the aquatic stage can last for 5 years or more. When the time is right, the juvenile comes to the water's surface, finds some suitable support (the support can be some distance from the water), locks its body onto this support, and molts (sheds its skin) for the last time (all juvenile insects molt a number of times as they grow), emerging as a relatively short-lived adult who will never live in the water again.
Adults dragonflies leave the water for a period of time, usually 1 to 2 weeks, immediately after emergence. During this period dragonflies can be found miles from the nearest available water. They are feeding and maturing sexually - in some species, the color pattern of the males will change considerably. Adult damselflies also move away from the water but being smaller and less active the distances are usually much smaller too.
Adult dragonflies consume many flying insects, particularly mosquitoes and biting flies, while adult damselflies consume smaller prey. Many adults become food for various birds, reptiles and fish. In some areas, many dragonflies hunting over roads get killed by passing cars.
Since the juveniles are aquatic, the adults must return to some suitable aquatic environment - lake, stream, river, marsh, fen, bog, temporary pond (the exact locations depend on the species) - to mate and reproduce.
Prior to mating, the male first grabs the female eventually holding on to her eyes and / or portions of her thorax with specialized appendages at the end of his abdomen. Attached or tandem pairs can often be seen flying around (these may have already mated).
Springwater Dancer - male and female in tandem
Odonates have a unique mating position called a wheel (from the side it looks more heart-shaped). Mating can take place in the air and last as little as a few seconds.
Blue-eyed Darner - male and female in wheel formation
After mating, the female needs to lay her eggs. The male and female may go off in tandem to search for suitable sites. It is common to see female damselflies laying their eggs while still in tandem with the males. The male of one tandem pair of dragonflies I saw would release the female just above the water, then grab her almost immediately after she was finished; they would then move off in tandem to a new site. The tandem arrangement prevents other males from mating with the female before she has laid her eggs. Sometimes, the female lays her eggs with the male hovering nearby ready to chase off any interlopers. Sometimes, the female lays her eggs unaccompanied. Depending on the species, eggs can be inserted into some suitable substrate one at a time (the female must land to do this), or dropped into some area a bunch at a time (the female often just dips the end of her abdomen repeatedly into the water). Some female damselflies submerge as they work down a piece of emergent vegetation, inserting their eggs one at a time (eggs may be laid above the current water line).
All insects are particularly vulnerable when they molt, since they are unable to move to escape predators. The molting process takes some time and is very interesting to watch (many of the larger species prefer to emerge at night and fly at first light). Individuals that have recently emerged have pale colors and glossy cellophane-like wings. As time goes by the colors strengthen and the wings become stronger. In the meantime, even those species normally regarded as persistent flyers may be found perching. Recently emerged individuals are frequently taken as prey by birds. Empty brown cases, the discarded skins from the last larval stage, may be found clinging to suitable supports. These cases, called exuviae, look different and can be used for species identification.
In the search for a mate, males perch, patrol, chase other males and sometimes engage in mock battles in which two males face off against each other, rising and falling together, perhaps raising their abdomens as part of these threat displays.
All insects need to control their body temperature (this is called thermoregulation). Perching insects can adopt various postures to change the amount of light received from the sun and the landscape. Sometimes you will see dragonflies orient their bodies so that their abdomens point towards the sun. This posture, called the obelisk posture, can make it appear that the dragonfly is attempting to stand on its head.
When you attempt to observe dragonflies and damselflies close up, you can be sure that they will notice you. Often you can see them move their heads to assess you as a danger. Sometimes they will tolerate your presence, other times they will move on. In hotter weather, moving on is easy so don't get frustrated. Some species spend most of their time flying. Some species can hunt into the fading light of late evening.
Captured dragonflies can and will bite if handled carelessly or prey of the appropriate size is presented (for example, your little finger). The larger ones can draw blood. Some females have been know to use their ovipositors to stab their captors (no venom is involved). In their search for prey, either that flying around you or that which may have landed on you, dragonflies might seem to be attacking you. If the prey has landed, dragonflies may strike you as they scoop the prey off. Some people I have talked to say that they have been harassed by dragonflies, perhaps territorial species. Damselflies are easily damaged if handled, and are too small too bite.
The two best sites (best = most species and variety of activity) around here are Manzanita Springs in the Park and Rattlesnake Springs in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. A pair of binoculars will be useful.
Perhaps the easiest species to identify is the Flame Skimmer (see photograph). It is a relatively common pond / quiet water species widely distributed in the southwest. It is colorful, active and it perches. Another relatively common pond / quiet water species is the Blue Dasher (see photograph). People often refer to it as the "little blue dragonfly" (note that it is a dragonfly, not a damselfly). It also perches.
Next to the butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies are probably the group of insects in North America that have the largest following among amateurs and the general public. Dragonflies and damselflies are interesting, colorful insects. Many people like them simply because they feed on a number of biting insects like mosquitoes and black flies.
There are a relatively small number of species, many of which can be identified with certainty from visual observation. Good field guides are coming onto the market and all the North American species now have common names. Numerous internet sites are devoted to odonates. As a result of all this exposure, a growing number of odonate enthusiasts are making observations and recording information about the dragonflies and damselflies in their local areas. Some species are being used in water quality studies.
Note: This is a personal web site and is not affiliated with the National Park Service or Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Contact information for the author, Ron Lyons, is accessible through the Index Page referenced below. Thank you.