How big can a dragonfly get? And how old?

Answer

Dear Ruth

One of the largest European dragonflies is the large imperial dragonfly Anax imperator (family Aeshinidae, glaziers). This dragonfly is very common in our area, and also the largest in our country, measuring up to 8.4 centimeters in length.
Australia has the largest dragonfly in the world, Petalura ingentissima, with a length of 12.5 centimeters. One of the smallest dragonflies with us is the petite grass damselfly Ischnura pumilio, which is 2.6 to 3.1 centimeters long. The adult dragonflies, which we see flying, only live a few weeks to a few months, depending on the species. The total lifespan is very much dependent on the weather conditions.
We have a number of species that live longer, they overwinter as adults (adult dragonfly), namely the brown winter damselfly Sympecma fusca, and the northern winter damselfly Sympecma paedisca. Before we see the dragonflies flying, some things have already happened under water. After all, the adult dragonflies lay several hundred eggs in the water, or on the bank. The young larvae hatch from these eggs after a few weeks to months; these develop further during one or more years in the water and feed on all kinds of animals that occur in the water, such as daphnia. The total larval stage is thus the longest developmental stage of a dragonfly. The fully grown larva later moults into the imago, i.e. the adult dragonfly.

Kind regards

Hans