Mochi Isle
Dragonfly life · Reed WetlandScience for kidsWhere do baby dragonflies live?
In short: Young dragonflies, called nymphs, live underwater in ponds and streams, hunting and breathing there for months or even years. When fully grown, a nymph climbs out of the water, sheds its skin one last time and becomes a flying adult.
How it works
A female dragonfly lays her eggs in water or on water plants. The nymph that hatches looks nothing like a dragonfly: it has no wings and a short, chunky body, and it crawls along the bottom. It is a fierce hunter, with a hinged lower lip that shoots out to grab insects, tadpoles and even small fish.
A dragonfly nymph's gills are tucked inside the end of its body. It breathes by pulling water in and pushing it out, and a strong squirt can shoot it forward like a little rocket. As it grows, the nymph sheds its skin, or moults, many times.
Before its final moult, the nymph climbs up a plant stem out of the water. Its skin splits down the back and the adult slowly pulls itself out, waiting for its wings to spread and harden before it flies. There is no pupa stage, so this is called incomplete metamorphosis.
Where to see it in New Zealand
New Zealand's bush giant dragonfly, kapokapowai, is one of our largest dragonflies and patrols forest edges and stream valleys in summer. Its nymphs are unusual: instead of open ponds, they spend several years in burrows dug into wet, boggy stream banks, sitting in water at the bottom and creeping up at night to hunt. Around ponds you can also spot small red and blue damselflies.
Try it together
In summer, go with an adult to a pond or stream. Keeping a safe distance from the water's edge, look on reeds and stems for empty, papery skins left behind by nymphs. You can gently pick one up, but leave living dragonflies alone.
Kids also ask
Do dragonflies bite or sting?
Dragonflies have no sting. If someone grabs one, it may give a tiny nip with its mouth, but it is harmless to people. The best way to enjoy them is to watch them from a distance.
How can I tell a dragonfly from a damselfly?
At rest, a dragonfly usually holds its wings out flat to the sides. A damselfly is thinner, and most kinds fold their wings together along their back. Damselflies' eyes are also set further apart.
How long do dragonflies live?
Most of their life is spent underwater as nymphs, from a few months to several years. Once they become flying adults, they usually live only a few weeks to a couple of months.
In the game, “Dragonfly life” is a nature card on Reed Wetland.
Your child finds this card by reaching the right place or meeting the right weather on the island, and lights it up by answering the question on the back. Tap the button below and the game shows your child which island it is on and how to find it. Mochi Isle is a browser learning game for ages 5 to 18; the main island and the daily lesson are free.
Find “Dragonfly life” on the island ↗ All cards from Reed Wetland