Dragonflies VS Damselflies
Dragonflies easily one of the UK’s most recognizable insect species and a common sight near any body of water throughout the summer months. However, did you know some of those insects you are calling dragonflies may in fact be its lesser known relative the damselfly? That’s why in today’s article we will be exploring both species and the main differences between the two. So you can go out and spot both with new confidence!
Let’s start with a little background knowledge:
Both dragonflies and damselflies are in the insect order known as Odonata. What we commonly call dragonflies are scientifically referred to as ‘Anisoptera’ or ‘true dragonflies’, whilst damselflies are scientifically referred to as ‘Zygoptera’.
The dragonflies we have today evolved over 300 million years from their ancestors in the cretaceous period. All the way back in the cretaceous period, dragonflies would have been MUCH larger due to the different levels of oxygen in the atmosphere. One of their ancestors the ‘Griffin fly’ had a wingspan of over 70cm! However, overtime (300 million years to be precise) the atmosphere changed and so did the dragonfly.
What is their lifecycle like?
In this section ‘dragonflies’ refers to both the true dragonfly and the damselfly!
So, dragonflies are hemimetabolous, which is a fancy word meaning they only have three life cycle stages- Adults, Eggs, Larva. This is a little different to other recognizable insects such as the butterfly which has four life stages- Adults, eggs, larva, pupae.
If you are reading this then I assume you are already familiar with what dragonflies look like as adults. At this final stage they will live from anywhere between 6-8 weeks depending on the specific species. They spend this time eating other invertebrate and then breeding. However, you probably don’t know what they look like in their other life stages.
Well, the dragonfly egg stage is pretty easy to imagine, they resemble tiny blobs similar to what fish eggs or caviar look like but much smaller. You are unlikely to find any from just walking around, however, you may spot some in ponds, or on the underside of leaves and other plants in water.
The other life stage of dragonflies is the larvae stage. At this stage the dragonflies live predominantly underwater and will only emerge when its time to become a dragonfly. Dragonfly larvae look a bit like aliens, developing over 1-3 years underneath the water and feeding on other water invertebrates. It’s only once they are ready to shed their skin and emerge as adult dragonfly that you may spot them. If you look at the underside plants close to water between 4am-7am you might be lucky enough to see a dragonfly emerging. However, it’s more likely you will spot the left over exoskeleton of the larvae.
What ‘actually’ is the difference?
When it comes to damselflies and dragonflies there are three main differences. There are a couple of exceptions- but we will leave those odd ones out for now!
- Body shape and build- Dragonflies are generally larger, more robust looking and are powerful fliers. In comparison the damselfly appears more delicate and slender, with a more fluttery flight pattern.
- Eyes- Dragonfly eyes appear larger and touch in the middle. Whereas damselfly eyes resemble a dumbbell in shape and do not touch in the middle.
- In general, dragonflies always land with their wings open, whilst the damselfly rest with their wings together.
Top tips for spotting them!
- Both dragonfly and damselfly are visible during the summer months from May to August in the UK.
- They don’t like rain or windy conditions, so its best to wait for a warm still day to go out and spot them.
- Typically, you can find both species in habitats where there is a healthy water source- whether this is a pond, river, or lake.
- You can usually spot them zipping about in the air but also check on reeds, pond lilies and other vegetation to see them resting.
- If you want to get a closer look at a dragonfly or damselfly head out between 4-7am as this is when they are least active. Check in reed patches, and the underside of trees overhanging water as you might be lucky enough to see one resting!
- If you check plants close to the surface of the water you might also be able to find a larvae exoskeleton left behind by one emerging.
