Can dragonflies fly backwards?

By Charlotte Owen

WildCall Officer

Yes - and upside down! Dragonflies can fly further, higher and faster than any other insect, and their wings are a marvel of natural engineering. Each one can be operated independently and this provides such exquisite control that a dragonfly can dart off in any direction - even in reverse - and make rapid alterations to its flight path as it chases down its prey, or avoids becoming lunch itself.

High speed cameras have revealed that dragonflies angle their bodies upwards to fly backwards, so that they are positioned vertically rather than horizontally. Rotating their body in this way effectively changes the direction of the force exerted by their wingbeats, propelling the dragonfly backwards. It may look ungainly but it’s surprisingly aerodynamic and efficient, allowing dragonflies to fly backwards for quite some time, and with just as much precision as forward flight. Being able to take off at this angle also allows for a quick getaway when perched in an upright position, darting away from danger.

And that’s not all - dragonflies also have an impressive self-righting mechanism to survive being knocked off balance and will perform a backflip to recover from being unexpectedly upside-down. They can even do this while unconscious and it’s all thanks to the ‘passive stability’ provided by the shape and stiffness of their wings. This natural response is similar to the way that planes are designed to glide if their engines should fail, and the biomechanics of dragonfly flight will no doubt provide invaluable insight for the design of future technology.