The Importance of Wetland Plants for Dragonflies and Damselflies handout by Watersheds Canada and River Institute

The Importance of Wetland Plants for Odonata

Odonata, including dragonflies and damselflies, are ancient insects with a biphasic lifecycle. They spend part of their life in the water as aquatic nymphs and part of their life in the terrestrial environment as adults. Dragonflies and damselflies make good bioindicators due to their widespread presence in freshwater habitats and their ability to live in various environmental conditions. The importance of wetland plants for Odonata is highlighted, as they provide shelter, opportunities for thermoregulation, and a vertical substrate for emergence from their nymphal life stage into their adult life stage.