Dragonflies, belonging to the insect order Odonata, are ferocious and highly efficient predators. What they eat depends entirely on their life stage. This insect undergoes a dramatic transformation, changing its diet from an aquatic carnivore to a hunter of the skies. Understanding their food source requires looking at two separate sets of prey: one found in the water and one found in the air.
The Diet of the Adult Dragonfly
The adult dragonfly is an aerial feeder, consuming flying insects captured mid-flight. Their diverse diet consists of almost any insect small enough to overpower. Common prey includes pest species such as mosquitoes, midges, and gnats, earning them the nickname “mosquito hawk.” They also target larger insects like moths, butterflies, smaller bees, and various types of flies. Adult dragonflies occasionally engage in cannibalism, preying on smaller Odonata species or weaker individuals of their own kind. The constant, high-speed flight requires a significant caloric intake; larger species may consume their own body weight in prey daily to fuel their demanding metabolism.
The Diet of the Aquatic Nymph
Before taking to the air, the dragonfly spends months or years underwater as a larval stage called a nymph. In this aquatic environment, the nymph is a camouflaged ambush predator that consumes any available aquatic life it can subdue. Their diet is primarily composed of other insect larvae, including mosquito larvae, mayfly nymphs, and small crustaceans. As nymphs grow larger, their predatory capabilities expand to include small vertebrates. Larger individuals successfully hunt and eat tadpoles, worms, and tiny fish, such as minnows. The nymph’s diet is opportunistic, sometimes including other Odonata nymphs.
Specialized Hunting Techniques
The hunting strategies of the dragonfly are highly specialized for their respective environments, relying on different physical tools for capture.
The adult dragonfly uses its six spiny legs to form a mobile “prey basket” or net while flying. This basket scoops the targeted insect out of the air, allowing the dragonfly to often begin consuming the meal without ever landing. Exceptional vision and maneuverability are integral to this aerial hunting, enabling the dragonfly to track and intercept prey with a high success rate. They possess a nearly 360-degree field of vision and can independently control each of their four wings for precision flying.
The aquatic nymph employs a different, equally effective tool: a unique, hinged lower lip called a labium. This structure is typically folded beneath the head, acting like a retractable arm. When prey is detected by sight or by sensory hairs that detect movement in the water, the nymph rapidly extends the labium. The end of the labium is equipped with hooks or pincers that grasp the prey, pulling it back to the nymph’s mouth.