Species Database
72 dragonflies & damselflies, browsable and alive
Hover or focus one to expand it and reveal size, lifespan, and diet. At rest, only the photo shows. Every one here is a creature of daylight too — from widespread pond skimmers to river-specialist clubtails that only turn up along Oklahoma's cleanest streams.
72 species · dragonflies and damselflies together
Photo: Judy Gallagher / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)No species match "" — try a different name.
Dragonflies and damselflies both belong to the order Odonata, but they're easy to tell apart at rest: dragonflies hold their wings out flat to the sides, while damselflies fold theirs back along the body. Both spend the majority of their lives underwater as nymphs, sometimes for a year or more, before emerging as the short-lived flying adults documented here. Oklahoma's 72 species split across both groups, with dragonflies generally the larger, stronger fliers and damselflies the more delicate, slender-bodied group.
Nearly all of them depend on clean water — rivers, streams, ponds, or marshes — for the aquatic nymph stage, which makes a healthy population of dragonflies and damselflies at a given site a reasonably good sign of decent water quality nearby. Like Oklahoma's butterflies, every species here is a daytime flier. Search by name, or browse the full list if you're trying to identify something you saw hovering over water.
Different species favor different kinds of water: some skimmers and pond damsels tolerate still, even marginal or man-made ponds, while clubtails, river cruisers, and several dancers depend specifically on flowing streams and rivers with sandy or gravel bottoms, and are far less tolerant of pollution or silt. That split means a single visit to a healthy river versus a farm pond can turn up a genuinely different set of species, and it's part of why this roster spans everything from common backyard-pond skimmers to specialists rarely seen away from the state's cleanest streams.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly?
Mainly wing position at rest and overall build: dragonflies hold their wings open flat to the sides and have a stockier body, while damselflies fold their wings back along the body and are noticeably slimmer and more delicate.
Do dragonflies bite or sting people?
Dragonflies have no stinger, and while a large one can deliver a minor pinch if handled directly, they pose no real danger to people — if anything, they're beneficial, since both nymphs and adults prey heavily on mosquitoes and other small insects.
How long do dragonflies live?
Most of a dragonfly or damselfly's life is spent underwater as a nymph, often a year or more depending on the species and water temperature; the flying adult stage most people actually see typically lasts only a few weeks.
Are dragonflies a sign of good water quality?
Generally, yes — because nymphs need clean, oxygenated water to develop, a stream or pond supporting a healthy, diverse population of dragonflies and damselflies is usually in reasonably good ecological condition.
How many dragonfly and damselfly species are documented here?
72 species combined, each with its own profile covering size, lifespan, diet, and habitat.
What time of year are dragonflies most active in Oklahoma?
Most species are on the wing from late spring through summer, tracking warm water temperatures and insect prey availability, though a handful of species fly notably later into the season, remaining active well into September and even October in some years.