Net-like veined wings are in sets of four and are horizontal most of the time. Body color may range from blue, brown, and a combination of green and black. The dragonfly is a predator that feeds on other insects, especially mosquitoes . The mosquito hawk is another name for this flying wonder that has an adult life-span of six months. They gather food while in flight, using their basket-like legs for capturing prey, often eating their catch while in flight.
Females deposit their eggs in the water on aquatic plants.
Once the egg hatches, the nymph searches its watery home for food. It has a large appetite and, depending on its stage of development, it may feed on larvae, protozoan, or small fish. The nymph breathes by extracting oxygen from the water through a gill located in the intestine. After a period ranging from three months to five years, depending on the species, the nymph completes its life cycle by crawling out of the water. Once out of the water, it slowly dries its newly developed wings and legs.