Where do dragonflies go in winter? This is how they overwinter

Dragonflies are the collective name for insects in the order Odonata, families Libellulidae and Aeshnidae. They are hemimetabolous insects. The nymphs live in water, breathing through rectal tracheal gills, and prey with a highly developed labial mask. They generally undergo more than 11 molts and take 2 years or more before crawling out of the water along aquatic plants, then after a final molt they emerge as adults. Let us take a look below at where dragonflies go in winter!

Where do dragonflies go in winter?

Before winter, dragonflies have basically completed their entire life cycle, but dragonfly eggs are placed inside plants, inside dead wood, or even in dry soil, or else dropped on the water surface, depending on the species. The eggs of most temperate-region dragonfly species do not hatch after being laid and may wait several months before hatching into nymphs. This non-hatching period is called the “diapause period”, and its purpose is to let dragonflies survive the cold winter in the egg stage.

Why do dragonflies skim the water?

A dragonfly skimming the water is a female dragonfly laying eggs. Dragonflies usually lay eggs on aquatic plants by small rivers and in ponds. After the eggs are laid, the larvae that hatch on the aquatic plants are called “shui chai” (naiads). The naiads must live a crawling life in the water for a long time, at least 1 year, or as long as seven or eight years, before they can emerge as adult dragonflies. After emerging as adults, their short and fat abdomens become longer and thinner, and the wings that were originally folded together unfold one by one, finally becoming dragonflies that look like little airplanes. It can be seen that “dragonfly skimming the water” is a natural part of a dragonfly's life——laying eggs to reproduce offspring.

Are dragonflies beneficial insects or pest insects?

Dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects. The nymphs, called “shui chai” (naiads), live in water, breathing through rectal tracheal gills, and prey with a highly developed labial mask. They generally undergo more than 11 molts and take 2 years or more before crawling out of the water along aquatic plants, then after a final molt they emerge as adults. In the water, the nymphs can prey on mosquito larvae and other small animals, and sometimes they even cannibalize their own kind. Both adults and larvae are carnivorous and mostly feed on pest insects. In addition to preying on large numbers of mosquitoes and flies, some adults can also prey on pest insects such as butterflies, moths and bees, so they are truly beneficial insects.