The Hawaiian name for the dragonfly is pinao. A dragonfly's wings do not fold. The adults rest with their wings lying horizontally. Their very huge bulging eyes have thousands of lenses. Dragonflies are active fliers and one of the fastest flying insects. They can fly up to 35 miles per hour or even faster in the wind if it is blowing in the direction the dragonfly is flying. Dragonfly wings are filled up with netted veins. It has an abdomen that is long and slender. Nymphs have very large jaws to catch their food.

	Habitat Dragonflies live on Moloka'i, Maui, O'ahu, and Hawai'i. The nymphs [babies] stay under water. When they grow older they get ready to live above water. Then when they are adults they live above water. But they only live in fresh water like streams and rivers.

	Life Cycle As nymphs grow older,their wings start to grow, and they live above the water. Nymphs breathe under water with their gills inside the tip of their abdomens. Their lifecycle is similar to the damselflies lifecycle , but longer. It may take 2-3 years for dragonfly eggs to hatch. The dragonfly lay its eggs on stems of water plants below the water surface.

Pinao dragonfly A long and slender body Two wings on both sides