A richly illustrated guide to the incredible diversity of dragonflies and damselflies around the worldAirily dancing over rivers and ponds, the thousands of colorful dragonfly and damselfly species that cohabit our planet may seem of little importance. Few life-forms, however, convey the condition of the most limiting resource on land and life's most bountiful environment as well as they can: while the adults are exceptional aerial hunters, their nymphs are all confined to freshwater. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the World showcases their beauty and diversity while shedding light on how they evolved into the vital symbols of planetary health we celebrate today. Features stunning color photos of hundreds of speciesCharacterizes all families and major subgroupsExplores how their unique features and behavior led to today's varietyShows how we contribute to their popularization and protection