What is the average lifespan of a dragonfly?

Although the adults are relatively short-lived (usually no more than four weeks), the aquatic immatures (naiads) may live for up to three years before molting to the adult stage. Adults are very weak and fragile, and even though they're tiny they could be pretty noticable by their predators.

The may sometimes be mistaken for mayflies (Order Ephemeroptera), in which the adults of some species do not live more than a day or so.