What Is the Life of a Dragonfly?

The dragonfly lifespan is a very interesting fact, which might surprise most people. According to most sources the dragonfly grows to about ten inches in length and spends most of its time hanging around the top of trees in the rain forests of Asia. Although there is some truth to this, dragonflies do have some distinct characteristics which differ from other insects, although some of these might also apply to certain flying insects such as mosquitoes and cockroaches. A dragonfly’s lifespan is usually anywhere between five and fifteen years.

Due to their small size, dragonflies don’t tend to be the biggest or the strongest insects in their surroundings. They would rather not make too much noise, or even appear as a danger to themselves or others because of their extremely small stature. This is probably one reason why the dragonfly lifespan is often times very short – they aren’t considered a big threat, so they’re not that bothersome to live with. When it comes to their life cycle, the lifespan for adult insects is anywhere from two to three years. The exact life span of the immature nymph is unknown.

Some of these insects are pests to plants but don’t usually eat the plant itself. They often hang around water plants looking for water, and then they fall off to feed on the leaves. Once they are finished with eating the leaf, they just fall off into the water, which then kills them. However, not all dragonflies will actually consume the plant, although they might try to, which means their death from drowning might have nothing to do with the water bug, and in fact be caused by other insects, such as wasps or other pest-control insects. Regardless, it is still possible to collect nymphs from the water bug, but if you attempt to release these insects in your yard without the proper precautions, you could be putting your family at risk.