The Flying Zone

After dragonflies have emerge from the nymphal case they are very vunerable for a short period whilt their wings and bodies expand.  During this process the their skins are soft and gradually harden after a few hours. They will take a short time to mature in to adults capable of mating. This stage is known as the "teneral" stage.

Adult dragonflies on the wing are very adept and highly manouverable insects. As a predator, this is very important and anyone who has seen dragonflies flying in the summer months will realise just how skillfull they are. Have you noticed how they are able to hover and then in a split second change direction and fly away at speed and stop in a split second?  The largest British dragonfly has a wing

Flying

Migrant Hawker - Aeshna mixta

span of about 110mm and is capable of catching wasps on the wing.  Imagine the prehistoric species of dragonflies which have been discovered as fossils.  The largest discovered to date had a wingspan of about 75cm! That's over 15 times bigger than our largest species.

British dragonflies usually live for no more than 60 days but this is very dependent on the species. The smaller damsel flies live for a matter of days where as the larger species of dragonflies can live longer. Their sole aim whilst mature adults is to feed find a mate and continue the generation.

They feed by hunting on the wing taking live insects. They will catch their prey by grabbing with their legs and returning to a perch to eat or if it is small it may be eaten on the wing.  Dragonflies can be territorial so it is worth watching out for the larger species to watch them patrol their ground. You may even see one catch its lunch!

The photograph of a pair of Large Red Damsel Flies shows them mating or "coupling" as it is sometimes known. Prior to the male and female joining together the male has transferred his sperm in to two sacks at the top of his abdomen. He will then find a mate, clasp her around the neck with specially evolved "claspers" at the tip of the abdomen.  She will then curve her body around in response and take the sperm from the males abdominal cavity to fertilise the eggs.

They will fly together (in this species) which the female deposits the eggs under water.  She will sometimes crawl under water to lay the eggs dragging the male with her. This is

Egg laying

Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion puella

not the case with all species.

Eggs are laid in plants, on the surface of a leaf or scattered however in every instance the eggs are laid under water.  They make take anything from days to weeks to hatch and when they do, the cycle begins again.