Dragonflies And Damselflies (Odonata)

This group gathers Insects subcategory members belonging to the order Odonata, ancient, fast-flying aerial predators whose ancestors, some with wingspans of over half a meter, were among the largest insects ever to fly. It spans the dragonflies, robust-bodied fliers that hold both pairs of wings out flat and stiff when at rest, and the damselflies, more slender-bodied relatives that fold their wings together along the body at rest, both groups sharing enormous compound eyes that give them near 360-degree vision and among the most effective aerial hunting success rates of any predator, taking other flying insects directly out of the air. Every member spends its early life as an aquatic nymph, a voracious underwater predator in its own right, before emerging and transforming into the winged adult familiar around ponds and streams.