Dragonflies have been on the Earth for a very long time, over 300 million years in fact. Although we are accustomed to seeing them flying around it is less commonly known that they start their life in water.
The lifecycle of the dragonfly has three distinct stages and is known as an incomplete metamorphosis
Stage 1 Egg - Eggs are laid in water on plants near the water.
Stage 2 Nymph - The eggs hatch out into larvae which continue to live in the water and are thus known as aquatic larvae.
A larva of the dragonfly is called a nymph and resembles the adult except it is much smaller, doesn't have wings, and has a wider and shorter abdomen. As the nymph grows it molts, (sheds its skin), a number of times.
The dragonfly can spend a long time in the water as a nymph, eating and growing. When fully grown the nymph crawls up a thick reed or similar plant stem and attaches itself just below the surface of the water. It then undergoes its final change, growing two pairs of wings in the process. When ready it breaks through the head of its old skin and uses its claws to pull itself out of the casing formed by its old skin. Once out of its old skin it climbs up the stem and out of the water.
Stage 3 Adult - On leaving the water the dragonfly finds a place to stand and starts to pump liquid into its wings to stretch them out tightly. It then allows the sun to dry them out. Once its wings are dry the dragonfly takes to the air to explore the surrounding area.
The life span of a dragonfly can vary from a few months to around 7 years. Most of this time is spent in the nymph stage with the adult stage only living for a few weeks. The adult breathes through small holes in its abdomen called spiracles. It is able to hover and catches other insects for food as it flies around.
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