![A woman displays, in the palm of her hand, two dragonhunter dragonfly nymphs that were collected from a stream in Virginia, USA.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0519/1968/3780/files/20150916_155300_480x480.jpg?v=1618622030)
![The first photo is of an adult male Eastern Pondhawk.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0519/1968/3780/products/IMG_0461_Pike_Run_Web_a0fa9c3b-7d68-43d7-943b-545be2131822_480x480.jpg?v=1608020742)
We all marvel at the beauty and acrobatics of dragonflies and damselflies. Less well known is that years of their life are spent underwater as nymphs; the T-Rex of their world. While eye-catching adults patrol the airspace for a few weeks to months, some nymphs stalk on the bottoms of ponds, lakes, wetlands, and streams for up to 4-6 years. The first photo is of an adult male Eastern Pondhawk. The second photo is of Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus) nymphs that may lurk underwater for up to 7 years. As it's name suggests, dragonflies are on the dragonhunter's menu.
#midwest #iowa #illinois #michigan #minnesota #wisconsin #missouri #nature #wildlife #habitat #nature #wilderness #MidwestWildernessConnections #NaturePhotography #dragonfly #odonata #damselfly #wetland #easternpondhawk #animals #marsh #stream #river #pond #lake #PikeRunWIldlifeArea #aquaticinvertebrates #macroinvertebrates #nature_photo