Dragonflies have been known by colorful names such as "devil's darning needles", "horse stinger", "eye sticker" and "mule killer" but these winged insects are incapable of stinging and are quite harmless.

Select this link for a Field Checklist on Dragonflies of Houston & Harris County.

In fact, these flying insects are helpful to humans by eating mosquitos, gnats, winged ants, winged termites and other insects that are nuisances and sometimes harmful. Thus dragonflies also are known by the name “mosquito hawks”.

Like all insects, dragonflies have three body segments; a head, thorax and abdomen. Attached to the thorax are three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings. The wings are net-veined and translucent, sometimes with colored patches that vary with species. They have broader hind wings than the forewings.

Dragonflies are almost always flying. When perched, the wings are held straight out at right-angles from the body. Each wing acts independently, and this is the reason why dragonflies are so nimble in flight. They can fly forward, backward, hover and make a hairpin turn with ease. Remarkably, some have been clocked at flying faster than 20 miles per hour!

Adult dragonflies are voracious predators. This is due to their keen eyesight and incredible maneuverability. They will eat just about anything they can catch on the wing and generally devour their prey in flight. Larger prey such as damselflies, other dragonflies, and even butterflies are taken to a perch to be eaten.

Dragonflies perch with their wings spread flat and regulate their body temperature by assuming various postures. Males and females are sometimes distinguished by different colors and patterns. In some species, individuals change colors with age and season. In general, males are more brightly colored than females.

But why are damselflies and dragonflies in this nature preserve? TLCNP has close to 2 acres of wetlands within and is close to White Oak bayou and channels that feed White Oak bayou. Thus slow moving water is within a half mile of and ephemeral wetlands can be found within TLCNP.

In North America there are 307 species of dragonflies of which 160 species have been recorded in Texas. Visit this link for general information on Texas dragonflies from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Select this link for a Field Checklist on Dragonflies of Houston & Harris County.

Below are some of the dragonflies that can be seen at THE LORRAINE CHERRY NATURE PRESERVE during the year.

Blue-eye darner

2.5 to 2.9 inches in length. This darner dragonfly can be seen from mid-June to mid-October. Habitat is open sunny areas of slow-moving streams, ponds, lakes with vegetation. The face, eyes and pale spots are all brilliant blue and can be easily seen in flight.

Blue Dasher

1.1 to 1.7 inches in length. This skimmer dragonfly can be seen year round. Habitat is mostly quiet bodies of water. They can often be seen perched with their wings depressed. The eyes are brilliant blue or green in males and reddish brown in females. They are aggressive predators and can regularly take over 10% of their body weight in prey daily.

Common Green Darner

This dragonfly is about three inches long and has a bright green thorax. Common Green Darners are large specimens that are common throughout North America and are thought to be somewhat migratory. They are most recognized by their striking green coloration. Common Green Darners are almost always found near water sources. Typical diet of Common Green Darner is bees; wasps; mosquitos; butterflies and midges.

Eastern Amber Wing

0.8 to 1.0 inches in length. This skimmer dragonfly can be seen from February thru November. Habitat is ditches, pools, ponds and other still waters. One of the smallest dragonflies in Texas. This small dragonfly has an elaborate courtship behavior. Males come to the water's edge early in the morning to patrol and defend a territory as a potential egg laying site. This small territory is only accepted by the male if he is not disturbed and there is no competition from other males.

Halloween Pennant

1.2 to 1.6 inches in length. This skimmer dragonfly can be seen May thru October. Habitat is marshes, ponds and lakes with emergent vegetation. These striking dragonflies are the most butterfly-like in appearance. On hot summer days they perch with the abdomen raised in the obelisk position.

Neon Skimmer

2.1 to 2.3 inches in length. This skimmer dragonfly can be seen mid-May thru October. Habitat is shaded spring-fed sluggish streams, ponds and small pools near streams. Males become bright red w/ amber color in the base of the wings. Its bright red color and erratic movements rarely go unnoticed. Males may be seen perched on top of tall grasses and weeds, but when females are present, they are generally seen chasing them in attempts to mate.

Thornbush Dasher

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches in length. This skimmer dragonfly can be seen almost year round in Houston. Habitat is heavily vegetated ponds and lakes. This dragonfly is the most widespread tropical dasher in North America. This species is often found perched on thick vegetation surrounding ponds. During summers the Thornbush Dasher wanders northward from Mexico into the US sometimes as far as Arkansas. As global warming takes place it's a species that could turn up where it's never been sighted before.

Twelve Spotted Skimmer

1.6 to 2 inches in length. This skimmer dragonfly can be seen mid-March thru mid-November. Habitat is ponds, lakes, temporary pools, and slow moving streams where there is vegetation and sunshine. Its name refers to the dark spots on the wings. They fly almost continuously and are only occasionally seen perched.

Wandering Glider

2 to 2.5 inches in length. This dragonfly is common in the U.S. and it usually seen near standing water but also seen in grassy fields well away from water. You can see the Wandering Glider in TLCNP from June to September. The yellow-orange dragonfly has a yellow face with red eyes, is best known for its flying style, in which it seems to glide effortlessly with the winds. They can fly for hours without making any perch. They are often seen in large numbers over open fields.

Mating

Male and female dragonflies tend to couple in the air, sometimes with an initial impact that can be heard easily. These tandem pairs of dragonflies can occasionally be seen flying about. The mating formation is called a wheel and occurs when the female curls her abdomen forward to pick up the sperm from the male’s second abdominal segment, while attached to the male. The male may assist this process by curling or moving his abdomen to allow easier access. The female may hold the male with her legs to relieve strain. Some dragonflies mate in the air; others mate while perched. Some pairs may be seen flying in tandem after mating, but this is more common in damselflies than in dragonflies.

Fun Fact: Both damselflies and dragonflies can move their wings independently and can fly both forward and backward with amazing speed. Visit this site to learn more about Odonata species in Texas.

Want even more information on dragonflies? TLCNP recommends Dragonflies of Texas by John C Abbott. It covers 160 species of dragonflies out of the 327 known in North America, making it a very useful guide. It has illustrations, common and scientific names, distribution maps, identifying characteristics, habitat, seasonality, and general comments.