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Dragonflies are useful indicators of ecosystem health because their life cycle depends on both clean freshwater habitats and healthy surrounding vegetation. Their decline can signal pollution, wetland loss, altered river flow, pesticide use or climate stress.
About Dragonflies
- Classification: Dragonflies belong to the order Odonata. Dragonflies and damselflies are related but differ in body form and resting wing position.
- Two habitats: Their larvae live in freshwater. Adults depend on nearby vegetation for feeding, shelter and breeding.
- Food-web role: Larvae feed on small aquatic organisms. Adult dragonflies prey on mosquitoes and other flying insects.
- Indicator value: Changes in their abundance and diversity can show whether a river, pond, marsh or wetland is improving or degrading.