Creation Biology: Dragonflies and Damselflies

Dragonflies are agile flying hunters of the insect order Odonata. There are more than 5,000 described species. Dragonflies have two strong pairs of membranous wings that are held flat and outstretched from a slender body. They are incredible fliers—they can fly upside down or backwards, hover in mid-air, and turn on a dime. Dragonflies easily track their prey, even in flight, with their two large compound eyes. Each eye is made up of thousands of tiny light-sensing facets. Dragonflies can be brightly colored or well camouflaged. You can find them basking on branches near water, cruising their territory, or hunting mosquitos and other prey.

Even though both dragonflies and damselflies are classified within the order Odonata, they are probably not related through common descent. Creationists understand that when God created all the animals in the Creation week (described in Genesis 1), He created genetically distinct units (kinds) which produced offspring capable of adapting as they spread throughout the earth. A kind could produce different species related to each other by common descent within that kind. Different kinds are unrelated, though they may share certain biological traits. Genesis expressly rejects the evolutionary concept of universal common descent of all species. While evolutionists present our Linnaean system of classification as a phylogeny of universal common descent, it is simply a method of identifying similarities and distinguishing differences within the spectrum of living organisms. Dragonflies and damselflies each are likely made up of multiple kinds, and there are fossil insects similar to odonates that make up additional 'dragonfly-like' kinds. Generally, creation research suggests a kind usually encompasses all species within the same family, and sometimes may include more than one family. Research is ongoing, but there are likely 38 to 46 families within the order Odonata.

Dragonflies live on all continents except Antarctica. Most species live in tropical or temperate regions (where there is plenty of water), though a few species have adapted to deserts and arid landscapes. Desert dragonflies gather at natural or artificial water holes. Some desert species only fly at night, while others are remarkably heat tolerant. The treeline emerald (Somatochlora arctica) is a dragonfly that has adapted to a very different climate. It lives in tundra and alpine wetland habitats of the Far North. It can even be found within the Arctic circle in Alaska.

Adaptation refers to changes in a population’s appearance, physiology, or behavior in response to new environmental factors. Evolutionists argue that natural selection is behind most adaptation. They believe that species that are less ‘fit’ for their environment are less likely to survive and have offspring. Species that adapt (through genetic mutations and random variation) towards ‘fitness’ are more likely to pass their traits along to future generations. Creationists recognize natural selection as a filtering process, one unlikely to contribute substantially to the often extreme changes necessary for an organism to survive in challenging environments. These changes rely on a robust genetic code that can express physical variation in future generations in response to environmental cues. Plants and animals were created for adaptation. God designed organisms to adapt and thrive on the earth (Genesis 8:17), even though the earth after the Flood was vastly different from before.

Dragonflies have two large compound eyes, each made up of thousands of tiny facets formed by optical receptors called ommatidia. They can see in front, above, and behind them, all at once. They don’t see in high resolution, but can quickly detect motion in their vicinity. Dragonflies have anywhere from 15 to 33 opsin genes, allowing them to see a broad spectrum of colors, including ultraviolet and polarized light. (Humans only have three opsin genes, sensitive to red, green, and blue.) A dragonfly’s opsin genes are expressed differently within the eye itself, so it can better see what is above and what is below.

Colors in dragonflies are the result of both pigments (yellow, red, brown, and black) and structural colors. Blue coloration on the abdomen is due to the microstructure of the chitinous cuticle layers. (Iridescence is also produced by microstructures.) Green coloration results from combining a blue microstructure with yellow pigmentation. Pruinosity is a ‘dusty’ appearance on the abdomen caused by the presence of waxy particles. Colors can darken with change of temperature as pigment granules shift position. Wings are usually transparent, but can have bands, saddles, or patches of color.

Many dragonflies and damselflies are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the males and females have different colors and patterns. Species can also shift appearance as they mature. Certain damselfly species are polymorphic, in that males and females not only look different, but may each have multiple possible appearances (phenotypes).

Most dragonflies have a body length of two or three inches. One of the largest living dragonflies, the female giant hawker (Tetracanthagyna plagiata) of Southeast Asia has a 6.4-inch wingspan, and a body length just under four inches. It is considered the heaviest odonate. The giant helicopter damselfly (Megaloprepus caerulatus), from Central and South America, has the largest known wingspan of 7.5 inches, but it has a long, slender body. The smallest dragonfly is the scarlet dwarf (Nannophya pygmaea) found in China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Australia. It has a body length of 15 mm (0.6 inches), and a wingspan of 20 mm (0.8 inches).

Most adult dragonflies feed on small flying insects like flies and mosquitos. Large dragonflies will tackle larger prey. The dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus) is a clubtail dragonfly that captures grasshoppers, butterflies, and other dragonflies. Dragonflies rely on their sight to hunt prey, and are capable of locking in on a single target within a swarm of insects. They can even predict the flight path of their target. In return, many birds, lizards, spiders, and other insectivores will catch dragonflies for a tasty meal.

A curious dragonfly may land on your shoulder, but it will not try to bite you. Adult dragonflies will only bite if you’ve captured one and you stick a finger close to its face. Only the largest species can break the skin. (Dragonfly larvae can also give a nip if captured by hand.) The idea that dragonflies can sting is an old wives’ tale. Some captured dragonflies may thrust the tip of their abdomen into a hand, which may mimic a wasp or bee. They have no sting, though; they’re just trying to scare away what they think is a predator. You have nothing to fear from a dragonfly.

The easiest place to find dragonflies is around a pond during warm mornings in springtime or summer. Pond skimmers often perch on branches, while other dragonflies cruise back and forth over the water. Some species might be found in wetlands or over grasslands (especially near forest edges). Habitat specialists may be less conspicuous than common pond species. While many dragonflies bask in the sunshine, other species only come out at dusk or dawn.

Most areas in the United States have a good variety of species. Most of the species on this page that I have photographed were found in Ohio.

Most dragonflies live their entire lives in the same area, but a few migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles. The wandering glider (Pantala flavescens) even migrates over open ocean as it travels from one continent to another. The common green darner (Anax junius) has a multi-generational migration in North America, similar to the monarch butterfly. In early spring, the first generation hatches in the south, then flies 400 or so miles north, where they lay their eggs and die. Those eggs hatch into the second generation, which flies back south, lay their eggs and die. The third generation settles in to overwinter, then lay their eggs and the cycle continues.

Unless temperatures start to drop, one to three weeks after a female dragonfly lays her eggs in or near water, they hatch into the nymph stage. Nymphs are voracious feeders and may capture other insects, small fish, or even tadpoles. Nymphs molt (or shed their skin) multiple times before emerging from the water and transforming into adults. Tropical species tend to spend a shorter time as aquatic nymphs. Because they don’t have a pupal stage, dragonflies are said to have an incomplete metamorphosis.

A teneral dragonfly emerges from its nymph stage. Its body pumps hemolymph (arthropod “blood”), expanding first the wings and then the abdomen. (After the wings harden, the hemolymph drains out, leaving a network of hollow veins for structural support.) The dragonfly appears pale, and its wings glossy. Over time, the exoskeleton and wings will harden.

Insects like dragonflies are ectothermic (cold-blooded), and rely heavily on the sun and ambient temperature to regulate their body temperature. In the morning, they bask in the sun to warm up so that their flight muscles will work. They can perch in the shade to cool off, or can assume an “obelisking” position (pointing their abdomen directly at the sun and shading the thorax with their wings) which reduces the surface area exposed to the sun. Some species also manipulate their skin pigments to aid thermoregulation.

Dragonflies can be found in the fossil record. Fossils are the result of both Noah’s Flood, which covered the whole earth (Genesis 7, 8), and subsequent centuries of geophysical upheaval that captured snapshots of biological change and biogeographical movement in a post-Flood world. Fossil dragonflies are very similar to the species known today. There was another group of insects, though, the griffinflies (order Meganisoptera), which resembled giant dragonflies. They included the largest known insects, with wingspans up to 28 inches.

While many dragonflies and damselflies are very common in appropriate habitat and season, some species are endangered and threatened with extinction. Habitat specialists may only be found in certain wetlands which are under threat of development, or in river basins where increasing pollutants can affect larval development. God gave mankind dominion over the earth, which includes a responsibility to ethically manage baraminic lineages and the species within them as they fulfill God’s command to fill the earth. Biodiversity showcases God’s awesome creative power and we should feel privileged to care for this remnant of creation.

Borisov, Sergei. 2006. Adaptations of dragonflies (Odonata) under desert conditions. Entomological Review 86(5): 534-543.

Byrd, J. H. 1994. Chapter 1: fastest flyer. University of Florida Book of Insect Records. http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/walker/ufbir/chapters/chapter_01b.shtml

Futahashi, Ryo. 2016. Color vision and color formation in dragonflies. Current Opinion in Insect Science 17: 32-39.

Futahashi, Ryo, et al. 2012. Redox alters yellow dragonflies into red. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 109(31): 12626-12631.

Hallworth, Michael T., et al. 2018. Tracking dragons: stable isotopes reveal the annual cycle of a long-distance migratory insect. Biology Letters (Dec. 19) https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0741

Paulson, Dennis. 2019. Dragonflies and Damselflies: A Natural History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Rajabi, H., et al. 2016. Effect of microstructure on the mechanical and damping behaviour of dragonfly wing veins. Royal Society Open Science (Feb. 1) https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160006

Troast, Daniel, et al. 2016. A global population genetic study of Pantala flavescens. PLOS ONE (March 2) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148949

Wiederman, Steven D., and David C. O’Carroll. 2013. Selective attention in an insect visual neuron. Current Biology 23(2): 156-161.

Wiederman, Steven D., et al. 2017. A predictive focus of gain modulation encodes target trajectories in insect vision. eLife 2017;6:e26478. doi: 10.7554/eLife.26478

Wilson, Keith. 2009. Dragonfly giants. Agrion 13(1): 29-31.

Back to Exhibits

zoocreation

Dragonflies and damselflies

A Creation Biology Exhibit

Common Green Darner

(© Chad Arment)

Ebony Jewelwing

(© Chad Arment)

Emerald Spreadwing

(© Chad Arment)

Brown Spiketail

(© Chad Arment)

what are dragonflies?

what about damselflies?

classification vs common descent

Eastern Amberwing

(© Chad Arment)

Blue Corporal

(© Chad Arment)

Blue-Faced Meadowhawk

(© Chad Arment)

Common Whitetail

(© Chad Arment)

Four-Spotted Skimmer

(© Chad Arment)

Halloween Pennant

(© Chad Arment)

Dragonflies Around the World

Aeshna sp.

(© creativenature.nl)

Common Clubtail

(© Sandra Standbridge)

Crimson Marsh Glider

(CC-BY 2.0 Gido)

Blue Emperor

(CC-By 2.0 Charlie jackson)

Sapphire Flutter

(CC-BY 2.0 Zleng)

Red Grasshawk

(© Frank B. Yuwono)

What is Adaptation?

Gray Petaltail

(© Chad Arment)

Flag-Tailed Spinyleg

(© Chad Arment)

Eyes

wings

American Rubyspot

(© Chad Arment)

Dot-Tailed Whiteface

(© Chad Arment)

Checkered Setwing

(© Chad Arment)

Common Baskettail

(© Chad Arment)

Cyrano Darner

(© Chad Arment)

Calico Pennant

(© Chad Arment)

Coloration

Spangled Skimmer

(© Chad Arment)

Painted Skimmer

(© Chad Arment)

Ruby Meadowhawk

(© Chad Arment)

Mocha Emerald

(© Chad Arment)

Shadow Darner

(© Chad Arment)

Widow Skimmer

(© Chad Arment)

Eastern Pondhawk, female

(© Chad Arment)

Eastern Pondhawk, male

(© Chad Arment)

Eastern Amberwing

(© Chad Arment)

Elfin Skimmer, female

(© Chad Arment)

Elfin Skimmer, male

Sometimes migratory dragonflies will swarm in
numbers large enough to be picked up by weather radar.