Ohio Dragonflies

Expert fliers

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In Northwest Ohio dragonflies are a common site during the late summer months. This group of insects is also referred to as "Odonata". The group includes both dragonflies and damselflies.

A female ruby
meadowhawk munching
on a leaf

Dragonflies are the larger of the two. Their wings are larger and stretch out sideways from the body of the insect. They are faster fliers and are often seen darting from place to place.

Damselflies are much smaller. Their wings will fold back.. They have a very long and slender body.

Both are expert fliers that can burst to speeds of 30 mph or more, and not just in a straight line. They can maneuver around the sky in any direction at will. They will often hover in place searching for food or protecting their territory.

Fun to Watch

Dragonflies are fun to watch in action. Find a place with standing water during the summer and just watch them in action. They sure do cover a lot of territory in a short period.

Its interesting to see them hunting for food and protecting their territory from other dragonflies. The different varieties and colors make them a fascinating subject to watch, study, or photograph.

Dragonfly Pictures

Click here for pictures and descriptions of different kinds of dragonlfies and damselflies.

Where are they found?

This colorful and interesting looking insect is very prominent during the hot months of July, August and September. You will find Ohio dragonflies around various sources of water. These can be ponds, streams, swampy areas, or other wetlands.

They begin their lives under the water voraciously eating as much as they possibly can. The nymphs will sometimes live in this state for a few years before turning in to adults. They hatch from their underwater state as adult fliers.

Water quality is typically good where dragonflies are found. The young nymphs cannot survive in water of poor quality.

What do they eat?

A great blue skimmer eating a fly

Dragonflies and damselflies eat other insects. They are often referred to as mosquito hawks since they will eat mosquitoes. They will eat mostly smaller fling insects like mosquitoes and flies. Some of the larger dragonflies will eat other dragonflies and sometimes insects as large as butterflies.

Interesting fact - While flying, the dragonfly positions its legs (which have bristly spines on them) in such a way to form a basket scoop. It uses its legs to collect mosquitoes and other insects in its legs and eats them on the fly.

Do they sting?

No. They look like they should sting since they are big, fly fast, and look mean. But they do not sting. They are harmless (to humans anyway).

Dragonfly Facts

They are equipped with two sets of transparent wings.
They can reach speeds of 30 mph or more making them one of the fastest flying insects.
They can flap their wings about 30 beats per second.
Their large compound eyes gives them nearly 360-degree vision.
Their are more than 5000 species of dragonflies in the world with at least 164 of them here in Ohio.
Dragonflies user their legs to catch other bugs so they can eat them on the fly.