Pest profile

Dragonflies

Anisoptera (shown: Libellula pulchella) · Odonata: Libellulidae and other families[4]

Dragonflies are harmless to people and catch mosquitoes and other small insects on the wing, though they aren't a practical answer to a mosquito problem.[1][3]

Twelve-spotted skimmer dragonfly resting on a stem with its spotted wings held out flat to the sides
Twelve-spotted skimmer dragonfly resting on a stem with its spotted wings held out flat to the sides. (c) Lauren McLaurin, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • They have long slender bodies, two pairs of clear, net-veined wings and heads made up mostly of large compound eyes.[1][2]
  • At rest, dragonflies hold their wings out flat to the sides.[1][2]
  • The largest U.S. dragonflies are about 3 inches long with wingspans up to 7 inches.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
DamselfliesDamselflies are smaller and more delicate, and at rest they fold their wings together above or along the body.[1][2]

Where it lives

Adults are most common near water because the young are aquatic. Maine has recorded at least 158 dragonfly species, and Texas 147.[2][3]

US map: public records from 49 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Eggs are laid on or near water and hatch in three to five weeks into aquatic nymphs called naiads.[1]

Naiads live in mud or on submerged plants for months to three years, catching prey with a hinged lower lip that shoots out.[1]

Grown naiads climb out on a plant stem, and the adult emerges and expands its wings; adults live up to about six weeks.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Adults scoop mosquitoes, gnats, flying ants and other small insects from the air with spiny legs held like a basket.[1][2]
  • Naiads eat aquatic insects, worms, tadpoles and even small fish.[1]

Health risk

Dragonflies can't sting or bite and do no harm to people, pets, plants or houses.[1][3]

Control

Prevention

No control is ever needed; Iowa State calls them entirely beneficial.[1]

Biological control

Don't count on them for mosquito control: many fly by day, when most mosquitoes are less active, and none are sold for release.[3]

A water garden attracts aquatic insects, dragonflies and damselflies among them, if there's no water nearby.[3]

Common questions

Do dragonflies sting or bite?
No. They're harmless and can't sting or bite, despite nicknames like horse stinger.[1][3]
Will dragonflies get rid of my mosquitoes?
Not on their own. They do eat mosquitoes, but most fly by day, when mosquitoes are less active.[3]
How do I tell a dragonfly from a damselfly?
Watch it land: dragonflies rest with wings spread flat, damselflies with wings folded together.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, “Dragonflies and Damselflies (Yard and Garden).” hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/dragonflies-and-damselflies (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Dragonflies (Home and Garden IPM).” extension.umaine.edu/home-and-garden-ipm/fact-sheets/common-name-listing/dragonflies/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. Texas A&M AgriLife Research, “Questions from our Readers (Dragonflies of Texas).” agrilife.org/dragonfly/questions-from-our-readers/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  4. iNaturalist, “Libellula pulchella taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/81495 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.