There is even evidence of a dragonfly eating a hummingbird. They are also capable of eating species larger than themselves. Various flies make up much of their diet, and they’ll eat each other, too. They eat many things, including other insect larvae, tadpoles and small fish.ĭragonfly adults typically catch their prey while flying by grasping them with their legs. When prey gets close, they thrust out their long lower lip to snag their prey, then pull it back into their mouthparts. Are dragonflies as fearsome as their name suggests? Are dragonflies carnivorous? What do dragonflies eat?ĭragonflies are carnivorous and voracious predators in both their larval and adult forms.ĭragonfly larva are ambush predators.
The biggest enemy of dragonfly populations overall is habitat destruction, which is shown to be the leading cause of global dragonfly population declines. What are the natural enemies of dragonflies?Ĭommon predators of dragonflies are frogs and fish, when dragonflies are in their larval stage, and birds and spiders, when dragonflies are in their adult stage. Scientists believe this evolution helps the dragonflies stay cooler but may also make it more difficult to find a mate. Increases in flooding, drought and extreme weather also threaten dragonfly habitat and can impact their life cycle.Īnother possible consequence of climate change has been seen in warmer climates, where wing pigmentation (or colouration) has declined in male dragonflies. Other species are widely distributed across most of the country, like the river jewelwing damselfly and the Canada darner dragonfly.Īre there shifts in dragonfly distribution or range due to climate change?Ĭlimate change is shifting and expanding the ranges of some of the world’s dragonfly species, while creating less favourable conditions and restricting the ranges of species that prefer cooler conditions. Species at risk and endangered species may be concentrated to a small area, like the Hine’s emerald dragonfly, which has only been recorded at Ontario’s Minesing Wetlands. Some species are exclusive in Canada to certain regions, like the treeline emerald, which is only found in the territories. More than 200 species of dragonfly and damselfly are native to Canada, and the eastern provinces have the highest diversity of species. Are there different species in different regions or many species in all regions? How many dragonfly species are in Canada?
Dragonflies at rest hold their wings completely out to the side, perpendicular to the body. At rest, most damselflies hold their wings closed (except for those belonging to a group known as spreadwing damselflies, which hold their wings at a 45-degree angle to the body). One of the easiest ways to distinguish a dragonfly from a damselfly is to look at how it holds its wings. For example, damselfly species are often smaller than dragonfly species damselfly larvae have gills attached to the tip of their abdomen, while dragonflies have gills inside their abdomen and a dragonfly’s rear wings are larger than its front wings, while a damselfly’s wings are all similar in shape. They share many common features but also have observable differences. Dragonflies belong to the Anisoptera suborder and damselflies belong to the Zygoptera suborder. What’s the difference between dragonflies and damselflies? How can I tell them apart?īoth types of insects belong to the order Odonata.
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