Antlion A winged insect with a dull-coloured body and net-like wings. Antlion larvae feed on ants, which they trap in conical pits, dug into sandy ground.

Clubtail dragonfly A dragonfly with a club-shaped body and wide-set eyes. Its nymphs burrow into mud on stream beds.

Cruiser dragonfly A dragonfly with short, stiff wings that enable it to “cruise” for long periods, searching for prey. It may have yellow markings on its dark abdomen.

Damselfly A carnivorous insect related to dragonflies but smaller, and weaker in flight. Damselflies lay their eggs in slits cut into the stems of water plants.

Dead leaf mantis A brown mantis camouflaged to look like a dead leaf. It may move like a leaf swaying in the wind as it stalks its prey.

Dragonfly A fast-flying, predatory insect that lives near freshwater. It has two pairs of transparent wings, of which the hind wings are broader. They cannot fold behind its back. All dragonflies lay their eggs in or near water.

Dragonfly nymph A young dragonfly that lives underwater for up to five years, feeding on insects, tadpoles and fish. Dragonfly nymphs have a clawed “mask” on their faces, which they use to catch prey and pull it into their mouths.

Emerald dragonfly A dragonfly with a dark body and metallic green eyes. Emerald dragonflies include the sundragon, shadowdragon and baskettails.

Flower mantis A petal-shaped mantis, camouflaged to sit among flowers, waiting for prey. Species such as the orchid mantis, are adapted to blend in with specific flowers, for example the pink orchid.

Giant Asian mantis A large mantis from Southeast Asia. It grows up to 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) long and can tackle prey as large as itself.

Hawker dragonfly A large, fast dragonfly. Most species are blue or green. Hawkers, also known as darners, spend most of their time in flight and are among the fastest of fliers. They are also the largest dragonflies.

Lacewing A flying insect with a network of veins in its delicate wings. It has sensitive hearing organs in its wings that enable it to hear the calls of bats and so avoid them.

Mantidfly A tropical flying insect with delicate, net-like wings. Like a mantis, it has large, spiny forelimbs used to snatch its prey and is a fierce predator.

Mantis An insect with a triangular head that can be swivelled about, large eyes with excellent 3D vision, and strong, spiny legs for grabbing prey at lightning speed. When hunting, a mantis stays completely still, waiting to ambush passing prey: insects, spiders, small reptiles, mammals or birds. Females lay eggs in a frothy mass that hardens into a cocoon. The young emerge as nymphs.

Mayfly A delicate, plant-eating relative of the dragonflies. Mayflies may spend a year or more as nymphs, but their adult life only lasts a day or two. As adults, they cannot feed and merely mate, lay their eggs and then die.

Neuroptera The order of insects to which lacewings, mantidflies and antlions belong. They are known as the net-winged insects.

Odonata The order of insects to which dragonflies and damselflies belong.

Petaltail dragonfly A large dragonfly with a slim, dark, spotted body. Its nymphs live in muddy marshland burrows, coming out at night. The largest dragonfly in the world is the giant petaltail, which has a wingspan of 16 centimetres (6.3 inches).

Praying mantis The praying mantis is so-called because it holds its forelimbs as if it is praying while it waits to ambush its victims: insects, spiders, frogs and other small creatures.

Skimmer dragonfly A large dragonfly with a thick body. It often flies low, skimming the surface of the water. Many species have brightly coloured wings.

Spiketail dragonfly A large dragonfly with a dark abdomen striped with yellow. It spends most of its day flying. Most species have a long, pointed body.

Stonefly A dull-coloured insect with transparent wings, thick legs and two tails. It is a weak flyer, and mostly runs on the ground or hides under stones. It is often mistaken for a mayfly.

Consultant: Chris Jarvis