Nature's 'helicopters' have something to say about the state of our environment

Colourful, charismatic dragonflies and damselflies are on the wing now

‘Devil’s darning needles’ is a strange name for a beautiful insect that has no sting, but this is what damselflies were once commonly called. ‘Horse stingers’ was once a widely used name for dragonflies, who also don’t sting. These intriguing insects, with their elongated abdomen, bright shimmering colours, and helicopter-like wings have much to tell us about their aquatic habitats.

But what we think of as a dragonfly is only the final life stage of these charismatic creatures — a small proportion of their overall life cycle. Before they emerge from the water, dragonfly nymphs spend up to two years underwater, swimming through submerged vegetation and clambering through the muddy bottom of lakes, canals, ponds, and other wetlands. These are formidable predators, with enormously large strong jaws to catch and eat other insects with, as well as predating on aquatic worms and even tadpoles. As they feed and grow, they moult their outer casing many times, gradually growing in size until it is time for the grand metamorphosis. Good water quality is essential to survive this aquatic stage and grow into a winged adult.