The Dragonflies, Water Wizards

There are several kinds of dragonflies. They are very pretty insects with four large wings. Their wings are so thin that you can see through them. The body of the dragonfly can be colored blue, green, or brown. You will always find dragonflies near the water.

A mother dragonfly either drops her eggs into the pond while flying, or she lands on a plant and drops them in the water. The eggs float to the bottom of the water and are buried in the mud. After awhile, the eggs hatch. A baby dragonfly is called a nymph.

The nymphs are very unusual. They have gills and can breathe underwater. For several years the nymphs live in the pond. They eat water insects and small water animals. The nymph turns into?an adult dragonfly. It comes out of the water to live. Then it is the kind of dragonfly you can see near a lake or pond. It catches food with its legs while flying over the water. It can fly as fast as 60 miles an hour. The adult dragonfly lives only about one month.