Dragons & Damsels

Dragons and damsels are members of the order Odonata, an ancient group of insects commonly known as dragonflies and damselflies. The two groups are often lumped together as dragonflies (or darning needles), but they are different and quite easy to tell apart.

The easiest way to distinguish between them is by how they hold their wings when at rest. Dragonflies hold their wings spread horizontally while most damselflies hold their wings together over their backs and appear more delicate; there’s a small group of damselflies called spreadwings whose wings are held in an intermediate position.

These dragons and damsels frequent wetlands of all kinds, from arctic bogs to sluggish tropical rivers. Here in northcentral Pennsylvania they’re most often found along the edges of lakes and ponds, but some species inhabit swift mountain streams, others the largest rivers. Nymphs of all dragonflies and damselflies are aquatic until they climb from the water and emerge as adults. While most of the adults frequent water bodies, some spend a lot of time hunting smaller insects far from any water.

Here are some of the northeast's most beautiful dragons and damsels –

These insects have been on earth for hundreds of millions of years (the species were different then, some were much, much larger than any living species) and they’re still here.