Are dragonflies insects? Understanding the classification of dragonflies

Dragonflies, also known as dingding, malang, fuliao and other names, are the collective term for the families Libellulidae and Aeshnidae, including the familiar dragonflies, damselflies and others. They can fly through the air catching pests, and their larvae are called nymphs, which are completely aquatic, with a form and habits entirely different from the adult, and the nymph forms of different species vary greatly. Let us take a look below at whether dragonflies are insects!

Are dragonflies insects?

Dragonflies are insects. Dragonflies are the collective term for insects of the families Libellulidae and Aeshnidae in the order Odonata, belonging to the hemimetabolous insects. The nymph, the "shui chai" (water nymph), lives in water, breathing in the water through rectal tracheal gills, and preying with a highly developed face mask. It generally has to molt more than 11 times, taking 2 years or more than 2 years, before crawling out of the water along aquatic plants, and then after a final molt emerges as an adult.

Are dragonflies beneficial insects?

The nymphs of dragonflies in the water can prey on mosquito larvae or other small animals, and sometimes cannibalize their own kind. Adults generally fly over ponds or riverside areas catching flying insects. Besides being able to prey in large numbers on mosquitoes, flies and other insects harmful to humans, some can also prey on butterflies, moths and bees. Both adults and larvae are carnivorous, mostly eating pests, so they are truly beneficial insects.

How long can dragonflies live?

The larva of the dragonfly, the water nymph, must spend at least one year in the water. The total time required for the entire larval stage varies according to different species and seasons, ranging from one month to three or four years, and those with longer times must endure seven or eight years before they can emerge as adults. The lifespan of the adult dragonfly is only one tenth that of the larva, being able to live only about one month to eight months. Even so, dragonflies still count as long-lived among insects.