From the archive record
A dragonfly perching on a plant in Landour, Uttarakhand, India. A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiproctaor, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can sometimes be mistaken for damselflies, which are morphologically similar; however, the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest can differentiate adults. Dragonflies possess six legs (like any other insect), but most of them cannot walk well. Dragonflies are among the fastest flying insects in the world. Dragonflies can fly backwards, change direction in mid-air and hover for up to a minute. Dragonflies are major