The Agile Flight of Dragonflies

Dragonflies have two pairs of wings whose motions can be controlled independently. By adjusting the timing and strokes of the forewings and hindwings, a dragonfly can hover, turn sharply, move sideways, and fly backwards. Forward speeds up to about 54 km/h have been reported for some species, but this is not a universal speed for all dragonflies. Their flight control helps them catch prey in the air.