Dragonfly Facts for Kids

22 Dragonfly Facts For Kids

1. Dragonfly is the common name for a group of fly insects who are members of the Ondonata order.
2. Distance relatives to dragonflies have been found in fossils dated back to 325 million years ago.
3. Dragonflies are found worldwide, apart from Antarctica and a few very remote islands.
4. The preferred habitat of most dragonfly species is wetlands in temperate and tropical climates.
5. Scientists have identified around 3,000 living dragonfly species.
6. Dragonflies have a head, compound eyes, mandibles (jaws), legs, elongated wings, thorax, and abdomen.
7. Dragonflies come in a wide variety of colors and are one of the most colorful insects on our planet.
8. Dragonflies are carnivorous and eat a wide variety of insects.
9. Dragonflies are amazing hunters, and some estimates claim they capture up to 95% of the prey they attack per day.
10. Dragonflies are known to sometimes eat 20% of their body weight in a single day.
11. They eyesight of a dragonfly is far superior to a human. Their large compound eyes allow them to see around 200 images a second and have a 360 degree view. It is estimated that they use around 80% of their brain for sight.
12. Dragonflies are quick fliers, being able to cover 100 body-lengths per second when flying.
13. A dragonfly’s excellent eyesight and agile flying abilities allow it to capture prey right out of the air.
14. Adult male dragonflies are extremely territorial and will fight each other and other insects to defend their territory.
15. A common myth is dragonflies can reach speeds of to 60 miles per hour, their maximum speed is 34 miles per hour.
16. There are three stages in a dragonfly’s life: egg, nymph, and adult.
17. The egg and nymph stage of a dragonfly’s life is entirely spent underwater.
18. The largest living dragonfly species is the giant dragonfly (Petalura gigantea) with a length between 3.1 to 3.75 inches.
19. The smallest living dragonfly species is the scarlet dwarf (Nannophya pygmaea) with a length between 0.66 and 0.74 inches.
20. Dragonflies are commonly mistaken for damselflies. They both look similar, but the main difference is their wings. A dragonfly’s wings extend out from their body and are flat. A damselfly’s can fold their wings along or above their body.
21. Dragonfly species around the world are being threatened by their loss of habitat due to human use.
22. The field of study in entomology related to dragonflies is odontology and a person who studies dragonflies is an odontologist.

Dragonfly Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on dragonflies. Below are three various pictures of dragonflies. These pictures should help you better understand dragonflies, the ultimate hunters of the insect world.

An extreme closeup of a dragonfly.

A picture of a dragonfly eating its prey.

A picture of a dragonfly on a leaf.