What Do Dragonflies Eat? 

Framed Blue Dragonfly Photo

Dragonfly Perched on Stick-Photo on Canvas

We watch dragonflies flying around the pond and they are beautiful. But what DO dragonflies eat? A dragonfly is an agile predator. Adult dragonflies and dragonfly nymphs (the stage of the dragonfly that lives in the water) are excellent hunters and mainly eat other insects.

The carnivorous diet does not just begin when the dragonfly is an adult; it actually begins when the insect is in their larval (nymph) stage.  Many of the smaller aquatic insects around a dragonfly larva are no match for the dragonfly and soon become a great meal for a baby dragonfly. When it comes to what dragonfly nymphs actually eat, it all depends on the size of the nymph.  If the dragonfly is on the smaller side, they can feed on aquatic insects.  If the dragonfly nymph is on the larger side, they may eat tadpoles and even smaller fish!   

The adult dragonfly uses the basket formed by its legs to catch insects while flying. The adult dragonfly likes to eat gnats, mayflies, flies, mosquitoes and other small flying insects. They sometimes eat butterflies, moths and bees too. Because dragonflies can fly over the water at rapid speed, out-flying their prey is particularly easy. Most insects do not have a chance of out-flying a dragonfly and become their lunch.