Dragonflies and Damselflies; is there a difference???
- alizajoy2011
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
As the weather has been so nice, I have spent a whole load of time outside, whenever I could... I have really enjoyed spotting many different types of damselfly and dragonfly visit our pond. We have had broad-bodied chasers, beautiful demoiselle, emperor dragonfly, common darters and common blue damselflies. This got me thinking: what's the difference between 'em? So off I went to stick my nose in my field spotter books... Here's what I found.
Even though damselflies and dragonflies look almost alike, there are some differences. Here are some of the ways to tell them apart. :)
Dragonflies are amazing creatures and are some of Britain's biggest insects; their bodies can get up to 8.5 cm long, and can have a wingspan up to 12 cm. Not surprisingly, dragonflies have a flight which is strong and purposeful. Some dragonflies have names that illustrate this perfectly, such as chasers, hawkers, darters and skimmers. There are 36 types of dragonfly in the UK.
Damselflies on the other hand, are more petite than dragonflies; their size is about 3.5 to 4.5 cm long and their wingspan is about the same as their body, 3.4 cm to 4.2 cm. When in resting position their wings are folded and in line with their backs unlike dragonflies who have their wings spread out, somewhat like an aeroplane. Their flight isn't as strong as the dragonfly's, and more like a butterfly's. There are 21 types of damselfly in the UK.
Breeding and lifecycle
Dragonflies and damselflies live most of their lives under water as nymphs also known as larvae. As nymphs, they are ferocious predators and will eat anything, including other nymphs. At this stage in life, they will shed their exoskeleton multiple times before turning into an adult - at which point, they will climb up a nearby reed or stalk and shed their exoskeleton for the last time. The dragonfly will emerge and have to wait (patiently) for their wings to pump up. Now an adult, males will make territory and fend off other males, meanwhile grabbing and mating any passing females. In the short few weeks spent as a dragonfly, a female will lay hundreds of eggs, completing the life-cycle. New nymphs will emerge, and spend the majority of their lives underwater until they become adults a few years later.
Great photo of the (emperor ? ) dragonfly next to your pond , as they have such great vision , its very difficult to creep up close to them , likewise , I didnt know we had as many species , fierce hunters in both life stages x
I didn’t know there were so many types of dragonflies in the UK! There’s been a few around here this Summer.
That’s an interesting post, thank you.
I love dragonflies and damselflies. Great post!