Dragonfly Life Cycle
The Amazing Dragonfly: From Nymph to Hunter
Have you ever seen a dragonfly flitting around a pond or lake? These colorful insects are not only beautiful, but they also play an important role in nature. Let's dive into the fascinating life cycle of a dragonfly and discover how they become amazing predators!
From Egg to Nymph
The dragonfly's life begins as a tiny egg, usually laid on or near water plants. When the egg hatches, a nymph emerges. A nymph looks very different from an adult dragonfly. It doesn't have wings and lives underwater. Nymphs can live underwater for months, or even years, depending on the species.
The Hungry Nymph
Nymphs are fierce predators! They eat mosquito larvae, tadpoles, and even small fish. They have a special extendable lower jaw called a labium that they shoot out to catch their prey. Imagine having a built-in grabber to catch your food! As the nymph grows, it molts, shedding its exoskeleton (outer skin) several times.
Transformation Time
- Nymph:
- The young form of a dragonfly that lives underwater.
- Labium:
- The extendable lower jaw of a dragonfly nymph.
- predators:
- Animals that hunt, catch, and feed on other living animals to survive.
- exoskeleton:
- A hard, protective outer covering that supports the body of an insect or other invertebrate.
- molts:
- Sheds an outer layer of skin or shell so that the body has room to grow bigger.
- ecosystems:
- Natural communities where plants, animals, and other organisms interact with each other and their physical environment.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What does a dragonfly look like as a nymph?
- 2Where do dragonfly nymphs live?
Where this passage belongs
About this informational passage for Upper Elementary
“Dragonfly Life Cycle” is a informational reading passage about Dragonflies, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (351 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.