There will be no emotionally driven reason why dragonflies would bite. We have to remember that dragonflies are like any other wild animal. And again, like the adults, these bites aren’t, in any way, harmful. Perhaps you’ve dislodged one whilst cleaning your pond, or a scientist may be studying one in the field – these larvae will only bite if they feel threatened. In fact, it’s very unlikely that a bite from a dragonfly will even pierce the skin – unless it’s an incredibly large dragonfly – the larger the dragonfly, the larger the mandibles.Īs mentioned in the previous section, there are also exceptions to the rules when considering dragonfly larvae.Īgain, if a bite is administered from one of these creatures then it is likely to be given in self-defense, meaning that a human has unsettled them in some way. If you do ever find yourself bitten by a dragonfly, then do not be concerned – they are not dangerous or poisonous in any way. If this is the case, then the dragonfly will use its mandibles to deliver a bite in self-defense. More than likely, the dragonfly has been picked up and is being handled incorrectly. If a dragonfly was to bite a human, then chances are the human in question has done something to unsettle the insect. Not for the dragonfly’s penchant for biting people. What are the exceptions?Īs with anything, there are always exceptions to the rules, and if we look at our question ‘Do Dragonflies Bite?’ in relation to humans, then yes – sometimes, they will bite humans.Įxception would more than likely only come about due to human action, Rapidly reach out and snap up prey as it passes. To do this because their lower jaw is extendable, meaning it can Like their parents, they are ferocious carnivores that will feed on anything they can get their jaws into insects, water snails, crustaceans, small fish and even other larvae. Rephrase it slightly: Can dragonfly larvae bite? As always, there are exceptions to this, but we’ll discuss them in the next section).

Whether or not they bite depends on how we are asking the question.ĭo dragonfly larvae bite? – again we think of ‘do they bite humans?’ – No, typically they don’t. Their lives as larvae, usually nestled underwater somewhere waitingįor the right time to emerge. dragonfly head diagramĪny small prey is usually caught straight away by the mouth, but larger prey, such as moths, butterflies and dragonflies will be held by the front legs as well, to ensure the dragonfly has enough control to administer its bite. They’re also hinged to give the dragonfly the option to open them really wide to accommodate larger prey.īelow is a diagram of the facial parts of a dragonfly, the mandibles are at the base of the image. These jaw-like structures often have sharp points, as well as serrated knife-like edges to help with the task. Their mandibles are positioned either side of the dragonflies’ head and controlled by abductor and adductor muscles to allow those cutting, chewing and crushing motions that jaws are so good at. Mandibles are essentially the jaws of the insect. Holding the prey in place whilst the mouthparts responsible forĪdministering the biting action get to work. Situated in the lower part of the mouth and are essentially used for Mouth is comprised of different components that all work together toĪssist with the insect’s bite function. can dragonflies bite? What mouthparts do dragonflies have?

So, if dragonflies didn’t bite their prey then they wouldn’t have a food source allowing them to survive successfully.ĭragonflies belong to the Odonata Order, a name which derives from the Greek word ‘ Odonto’ which means tooth, another clear indicator of their biting ability.Īlthough dragonflies don’t actually have teeth they do have a variety of mouth parts that allow the insect to bite successfully – and while dragonflies bite – they do not sting. They will bite them and chew them before ingesting them. In fact, they rely on their ability to bite in order to survive.īeing a carnivorous insect, dragonflies hunt other insects for prey moths, midges, mosquitoes, butterflies and even other dragonflies. However, if you rephrase the question slightly, then the answer changes to:- Can dragonflies bite?

Dragonfly larvae images