Dragonfly nymphs have large bulbous eyes and generally have a thick, cigar shaped body. In cross section, the abdomen is somewhat triangular shaped, being flat on the bottom and slightly ridged on the top. The legs of a dragonfly nymph are fairly pronounced in comparison to most other aquatics. Dragonflies do not go through a pupa stage. The immature forms look much the same but are just different in size.
Adults develop two pair of wings and the abdomen lengthens and narrows for flight.
Broods of all sizes less than that will be in a lake. Shades of black and light green are the two most common colors for dragonfly nymphs in our lakes. However, they do come in other colors including darker greens, grays, and a reddish brown. Dragonfly nymphs mostly crawl along weeds or the lake bottom in search of prey. The nymphs have internal gills for which water is sucked into the body and then expelled.