What Do Dragonflies Eat And Drink?

Dragonflies are among the most effective hunters in the animal kingdom, and their menu is built almost entirely on other flying insects. Adults eat mosquitoes, flies, midges, moths, and other small insects they catch in midair. They drink very little — most of their water comes from the insects they eat, though they will sip from ponds, streams, and even wet leaves when they need to.

That short answer covers the adults. The full picture is stranger and more interesting, because a dragonfly’s diet changes completely as it grows up. The larva that hatches underwater is a totally different predator from the winged adult buzzing over a pond. Understanding both stages explains why dragonflies are so useful to have around — and why they are not the nectar-sipping garden visitors many people assume they are.

What Do Dragonflies Eat And Drink?

Adult dragonflies are pure insect predators. They do not eat plants, nectar, fruit, seeds, or pollen. Every meal is another animal, caught on the wing.

Their most common prey includes mosquitoes, gnats, midges, flies, small moths, mayflies, and other soft-bodied flying insects. Larger species will take bigger targets, including butterflies, smaller dragonflies, and occasionally bees and wasps. Some of the biggest dragonflies have been observed catching prey nearly as large as themselves.

Water is a different story. Dragonflies do not drink the way birds or mammals do. They get most of their moisture from the bodies of the insects they eat, which are largely water. When they do drink directly, it is usually a brief sip from a pond edge, a stream, or dew on a leaf. There is no evidence they need standing water to drink from, and they do not seek it out the way they seek prey.

One detail worth knowing: dragonflies cannot fold their wings flat along their backs the way most other insects can. That rigid, outstretched wing posture is part of what makes them such relentless fliers — and it means they hunt almost constantly while airborne.

How Do Dragonflies Catch Their Food?

Dragonflies hunt on the wing, and they are extraordinarily good at it. Studies of their hunting behavior have found that they succeed in capturing their target in the large majority of attempts — a success rate that is unusual among predators.

Three things make this possible:

• Vision. Each eye is made up of thousands of tiny lenses, giving dragonflies nearly panoramic vision. They can track a moving insect across a wide field and detect motion faster than the human eye can process it.
• Flight control. Each of their four wings moves independently. That lets them hover, reverse, turn sharply, and change direction mid-flight in ways most insects cannot match.
• An intercept strategy. Rather than chasing prey directly, dragonflies predict where the target is going and fly to meet it. Researchers who study this describe it as a form of internal targeting that adjusts continuously as the prey moves.

They catch prey with their legs, which are covered in spines and form a basket-like trap when the dragonfly is in flight. The prey is usually eaten while the dragonfly is still flying.

What Do Dragonfly Larvae Eat?

Before a dragonfly ever takes to the air, it spends months or even years underwater as a larva, sometimes called a nymph. This stage is also a predator, and a formidable one.

Dragonfly larvae eat aquatic insects, mosquito larvae, small crustaceans, tadpoles, and even small fish. They are ambush hunters. They sit still, wait for something to move close, then strike with a specialized hinged lower jaw that shoots forward to grab the prey. It is one of the fastest predatory movements known among insects.

This underwater stage matters for a practical reason. A single dragonfly larva can eat a large number of mosquito larvae before it ever leaves the water. That is one reason dragonflies are often described as beneficial insects — the larvae reduce mosquito numbers in the water, and the adults reduce them in the air.

Do Dragonflies Eat Mosquitoes?

Yes. Mosquitoes are a major part of the adult dragonfly diet, and mosquito larvae are a major part of the larval diet. This is the single most common reason people want dragonflies around their yard or pond.

It is worth being honest about the limits of that benefit. Dragonflies do eat mosquitoes, and they eat a lot of them. But they are generalist predators — they eat whatever flying insect is easiest to catch. They do not target mosquitoes specifically, and they will happily take a butterfly or a bee instead if that is what is in front of them.

So dragonflies are not a mosquito control solution on their own. They are one part of a natural system. Ponds with healthy dragonfly populations tend to have fewer mosquitoes, but no single predator eliminates them.

What Do Dragonflies Drink and Where Do They Get Water?

Dragonflies get the water they need from their food. Insects are mostly water by weight, so a dragonfly eating regularly is also hydrating regularly.

When they do drink directly, it is usually a quick dip at the edge of a pond or stream, or moisture taken from wet surfaces. They do not have a long proboscis for sipping nectar or a beak for drinking, so any direct drinking is brief and shallow.

This is one reason dragonflies are almost always found near water. They need it for breeding and for the larval stage, and they drink from it occasionally. But the water they drink is a small part of their total intake compared to what they get from prey.

Do Dragonflies Eat Bees, Butterflies, or Other Dragonflies?

They can, and sometimes do. Large dragonfly species are capable of taking down bees, wasps, butterflies, and even other dragonflies, including smaller members of their own species.

This is where the “beneficial insect” label gets complicated. A dragonfly in your garden is just as likely to eat a pollinator as it is a pest. It is not choosing sides. It is choosing whatever it can catch.

Some dragonflies are also territorial, and males of certain species will chase or even attack other dragonflies that enter their patch of water. In those cases, the “prey” is a rival rather than a meal.

What Do Dragonflies Not Eat?

Dragonflies do not eat plants. They do not feed on nectar, pollen, fruit, seeds, or leaves at any stage of life. This is a common misconception, partly because dragonflies are often seen resting on flowers or garden plants.

They rest on plants. They do not eat them. The flowers are just perches — convenient spots to scan for passing insects.

Dragonflies also do not eat carrion, and they do not scavenge. Every meal is live prey, caught in flight or ambushed underwater. There is no evidence dragonflies feed on dead insects or animal matter.

Why Dragonflies Are Useful to Have Around

Dragonflies eat mosquitoes at both stages of their life. The larvae eat mosquito larvae in the water, and the adults eat adult mosquitoes in the air. That alone makes them worth encouraging.

They also eat other flying pests, including gnats, midges, and small flies. A healthy dragonfly population around a pond or garden can reduce the number of biting insects in the area, though it will not eliminate them.

If you want more dragonflies, the most effective thing you can do is provide water. A pond, even a small one, gives them a place to breed and supports the larval stage. Avoid pesticides, which kill the insects dragonflies depend on. And leave some tall plants or reeds at the water’s edge — dragonflies use them for perching and for laying eggs.

What you should not expect is a dragonfly that comes to a feeder or drinks from a birdbath the way a bird would. Dragonflies are hunters, not visitors. They will come to your yard if there is food and water, but they will not be tamed into it.