There are more than 3,000 known species of dragonflies, all of which (along with damselflies) belong to the order Odonata, which means "toothed one" in Greek and refers to the dragonfly's serrated teeth.

Globe skimmers (Pantala flavescens) make an annual multi-generational journey of some 11,000 miles (18,000 km), crossing the Indian Ocean and snagging the title of world's longest insect migration.

Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossils have been found with wingspans of up to thirty inches. Some scientists theorize that high oxygen levels during the Paleozoic era allowed dragonflies to grow to monster size.

According to Guinness World Records, the fastest flying insect is the Australian dragonfly. It has been measured reaching speeds of 36 mph (58 km/h) in short bursts, which is faster than the average galloping horse.

Adult dragonflies will only eat prey they catch while flying, particularly midges and mosquitoes. A single dragonfly can eat up to 300 mosquitoes a day.

Dragonflies are some of the most efficient hunters in the animal kingdom, catching up to 95% of the prey they pursue. By comparison, a lion's success rate is a mere 20%.

Acting dead allows the moorland hawker dragonfly to reproduce with the mate of her choice. When undesirable males approach, she will drop from the air and lie motionless on the ground. A University of Zurich study showed that the females' death feigning usually works. Most males in the study, buzzed the crash site briefly, then flew off to look for other conquests.

A dragonfly's large compound eyes occupy almost their entire head, which allows them to look in all directions simultaneously. They only have one blind spot located directly behind their head. In addition, whereas humans have just one lens per eye, a dragonfly eye is made up of 30,000 visual units called facets, each of which contains a lens. Their incredible vision makes dragonflies excellent hunters.

Unlike other winged insects, such as butterflies, dragonflies do not have a pupal stage and transition straight from a larva to an adult.

In some parts of Asia, especially Bali, both the nymphs and the adults are eaten, typically boiled or fried and often served on rice.