Plural of damselfly; small, slender insects with long bodies and two pairs of wings that live near water.
From 'damsel' + 'fly', naming the insect after its delicate, maiden-like appearance. The term has been used since the 1600s to distinguish these graceful insects from dragonflies.
Damselflies are ancient fliers—their ancestors were among the first insects to fly 300 million years ago, and they can hover, fly backwards, and even mate while airborne, making them aerial acrobats that far outclass dragonflies in precision!
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