Seasoned bug catchers know that the rainbow trout of the backyard bug watching expedition are the colorful fliers: the dragonfly and damselfly.
If you are lucky enough to live near a shallow freshwater pond, dragonflies and damselflies can be abundant. Both are capable of putting on an acrobatic airshow, come in a variety of colors, and are fierce predators that will eat flies, mosquitoes, and other small insects.
But how do you tell the two apart? Here are three ways to teach kids how to tell a dragonfly from a damselfly.
How to tell a dragonfly from a damselfly while in flight
When in flight, dragonflies are easy to spot. Large in size, stocky, quick, and sometimes loud, an adult dragonfly will usually travel in a single direction with purpose. Damselflies, on the other hand, are dainty. Where the dragonfly seems to move powerfully with a clear destination in mind, the damselfly will flutter and move in a way that seems aimless.
How to tell a dragonfly from a damselfly while perched
When at rest, the easiest way to differentiate a damselfly from a dragonfly is to look closely at their wings. Dragonfly wings will protrude from their bodies in a way that resembles an “airplane”. They lack the “hinges” that allow them to fold their wings back against their bodies. Damselflies, on the other hand, pull their wings along their backs so that they are parallel to their body.
How to tell a dragonfly from a damselfly by morphology (shape and size)
A third way to differentiate a dragonfly from a damselfly is to look deep into its eyes… Really. Dragonflies eyes are larger, are much closer together, and almost touching. Here’s an example:
Damselflies have two distinct eye lobes that are positioned on each side of the head.
So that’s all there is to it. Want to learn more about dragonflies and damselflies?
Pick up a copy of Cynthia Berger’s Dragonflies Wild Guide. This 124 page guide book covers everything from dragonfly behavior to attracting dragonflies to your backyard. Full color illustrations make identification easy.
Or, click here to see our whole bug catching section.
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