Walton Hall Nature Trail, dragonfly life cycle

The unique system of mating in dragonflies and damselflies involves the male first transfering sperm to an organ on his abdomen. A receptive female is then grabbed by the back of the neck, she then curves up the tip of her abdomen to collect the sperm. Insects may remain together in this tandem position [LEFT] until the female has laid her eggs.
The nymphs are voracious aquatic predators impaling prey on spines at the end of the lower jaw. Damselflies mainly complete their life-cycle in one year but dragonflies can remain in the waterborne larval stage for several years. Back to Nature Trail