{"id":11458,"date":"2022-06-27T11:23:02","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T16:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=11458"},"modified":"2022-07-02T12:02:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-02T17:02:11","slug":"dragonfly-vs-damselfly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/dragonfly-vs-damselfly\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Difference Between A Dragonfly And A Damselfly?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are many types of flying insects, and some of them look pretty similar to each other. Two such insects are the dragonfly<\/a> and the damselfly. These two flying predators of the insect world look remarkably alike; many people easily confuse them. So, what is the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly? And how can you tell them apart? Keep reading! In this article we\u2019ll answer these questions and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Dragonfly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What
Dragonfly<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dragonflies are strong, powerful predatory insects. There are around 3,000 species of dragonfly, and though they mostly live in warm, tropical areas, many species can be found throughout the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dragonflies have long, thick bodies, large, powerful wings, and massive eyes that take up most of their head, nearly touching at the top of the head. They come in a wide range of colors and patterns.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their wings have to be warm to allow them to fly, so they often warm them up by vibrating them or basking in the sun. When in flight, their wings beat so fast that they usually can\u2019t be seen by human eyes in real time; this flight pattern allows them to move extremely fast, as much as 34 miles per hour in any direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dragonflies lay eggs in or near sources of freshwater. The eggs hatch out and the larvae live underwater, hunting insects and other small water creatures and molting repeatedly; finally, they leave the water and molt for the last time, becoming adult dragonflies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adult dragonflies, like their larvae, are also intense hunters. They will stalk, capture, and eat all kinds of insects<\/a>, including those weighing up to 60 percent their own body weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Damselfly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Damselflies<\/a>, as their name suggests, are smaller and more graceful-looking predatory insects that are often confused with dragonflies. There are about 2,600 species of damselfly and they can be found around freshwater habitats throughout the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damselflies have long, thin, slender bodies, large, delicate wings, and large eyes spread far apart from each other. They come in many colors and patterns, but they are often vivid shades of black, blue, and green.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damselflies have a slower, more graceful flight pattern than dragonflies. Though some species beat their wings quite fast and move similar to dragonflies, many others flap their wings in a pattern more similar to that of butterflies, and all of them move much more slowly than dragonflies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damselflies also lay their eggs in or near water sources, and their life cycle closely mimics that of dragonflies. The young damselflies live in water and molt repeatedly before emerging, shedding their skin a final time, and flying away as adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though damselflies don\u2019t look nearly as formidable as dragonflies, they are also predatory insects. They hunt and eat many different kinds of small insects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dragonflies Vs Damselflies: Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Dragonflies<\/a>
Damselfly<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At first glance, dragonflies and damselflies look quite similar, but as you can tell from the above sections, they have many differences as well. Let\u2019s take a closer look at their similarities and differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n