Dragonfly in a heath forest of East Flanders, Belgium

© Marcel Derweduwen/Shutterstock

Dragonfly in a heath forest of East Flanders, Belgium

Is this a dragonfly or a damselfly? One easy-to-spot difference between the two insects is the position of the wings. Dragonflies, like the one in this photo, usually hold their wings perpendicular to their bodies while at rest. Damselflies’ wings, when not in motion, fold back along the long thorax portion of their bodies. There are exceptions to this rule, as is often the case in nature, but think of how smart you’ll sound this summer when you share that fact with everyone else down at the lakeshore.