How Do Dragonflies Fly With Four Independent Wings?

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Most insects fly with two pairs of wings that are linked together, or with one pair alone. Dragonflies and damselflies are different: each of their four wings can be controlled separately. People who ask how do dragonflies fly with four independent wings usually want the mechanism behind that control. The short answer involves muscles attached to each wing, a timing relationship between the front and back wings, and a trade-off between thrust and power. This article explains those points using two research papers, one a broad review of dragonfly flight and one that studies wing phasing in a robotic model.

Quick answer

• Muscles attached to the radial veins give active control over the angle of attack, camber, twist, amplitude and frequency of each of the four wings independently.
• Direct muscles at each wing base let dragonflies control each wing independently, which most other insects cannot do.
• Front and hind wings are often seen moving somewhat out of phase, meaning their strokes are offset in time.
• With suitable front-to-hind timing, aerodynamic power requirements can be reduced by up to 22 per cent compared with a single pair of wings.

Four wings and why they matter

Dragonflies and damselflies have kept their four-winged form for a very long time. The second paper states that they have maintained their distinctive, independently controllable, four-winged form for over 300 Myr, which means over 300 million years. In most insects, the wings have either been reduced to a single pair or mechanically coupled, so that the fore and hind wings move together. The dragonfly form is an exception to that pattern.

The reason four wings matter is that each one can contribute to the flight in its own way. The review describes the Odonata, the group that includes dragonflies and damselflies, as operating their four wings independently. That independence is what allows the insect to adjust each wing rather than treating the four as one unit.

How muscles control each wing

The control starts at the wing base. In contrast to most other insects, direct musculature acts at each wing base, enabling dragonflies to control each wing independently.

The first paper describes how that control is applied along the wing. Many of these muscles insert on the radial veins. Through those veins the muscles give active control over the angle of attack, camber, twist, amplitude and frequency of each of the four wings independently. In plain terms, the insect can change how each wing is tilted, how curved it is, how it twists, how far it moves and how fast it beats.

Because each wing has its own set of controls, the four wings do not have to match each other. This is the basis of the independent control described in both sources.

Fore and hind wing phasing

Phasing describes the time relationship between two wings. Two wings that move at the same moment are in phase, while two wings that move at different moments are out of phase. The second paper explains that a wide range of phase relationships have been described between fore and hind wings. Researchers have described many possibilities rather than a single standard pattern.

The phasing that gives the strongest flight forces has been linked to in-phase flapping in earlier work. Even so, the second paper notes that in many instances dragonflies are also observed flying with fore and hind wings operating somewhat out of phase. The insect therefore uses more than one pattern. It is not restricted to a single timing rule.

Earlier researchers also suggested reasons for out-of-phase motion. The paper notes that Grodnitsky postulated that anti-phase wing motions might benefit hunting, either due to an increase in readiness for manoeuvrability, or by reducing centre of mass oscillations. The paper presents this as a hypothesis rather than a settled result, and the sources do not test it directly.

Thrust, power and the trade-off

Changing the phase is not free. Previous computational and experimental studies have demonstrated that phase can have a bearing on both thrust production and power. Thrust is the push that keeps the insect moving, and power is the energy needed to produce it.

The second paper notes that variations in thrust and power are closely correlated. Some phase settings could increase thrust production, but with an increased power requirement. This is the trade-off. Gaining more thrust may cost more energy.

The paper also reports a more favorable case. With the appropriate fore–hind wing phasing, aerodynamic power requirements can be reduced up to 22 per cent compared with a single pair of wings.

What the robotic model tested

The second paper uses a mechanical model to study hovering. The study measured the forces and wakes produced by a robotic hovering model dragonfly.

The paper uses this model to revisit the efficiency implications of phase on hovering with flapping, tandem wings.

How we chose

This article uses two research articles hosted on PubMed Central. The first is a review titled Flight of the dragonflies and damselflies. The second is a study on how phasing of dragonfly wings can improve aerodynamic efficiency by removing swirl. Both were opened on 2026-10-28 and both returned HTTP 200.

The review gives the broad picture of muscle control and the four-wing design. The phasing study gives the detailed evidence on timing, thrust, power and the robotic model. Each claim in this article is tied to a verbatim quote in the research note for this article. Claims that could not be tied to a quote were removed.

This article does not give advice on products, prices or ratings, because the topic is about insect flight.

For a related look at hovering flight in a different animal, see how hummingbirds generate lift when hovering. For a second view of hovering in place, see how hummingbirds hover in place.

What we could not verify

The phasing study uses a robotic model, not a live dragonfly in flight. The sources do not show that the efficiency figure applies to every dragonfly species or every flight situation. The review covers the Odonata broadly, and this article does not claim detail for any single species beyond what the sources state.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not give a full wing-by-wing measurement of a free-flying dragonfly in the field. They do not state how often a dragonfly uses in-phase versus out-of-phase flapping during a typical day. The hunting idea mentioned in earlier work is also not confirmed by these two papers.

Frequently asked questions

Can a dragonfly move each wing separately?

Yes. The sources describe direct muscles at each wing base that enable dragonflies to control each wing independently, and muscles on the radial veins that control each wing’s angle, camber, twist, amplitude and frequency.

Why are most insects different from dragonflies in wing control?

The second paper states that in contrast to most other insects, direct musculature acts at each wing base in dragonflies. Most other insects have reduced or mechanically coupled their fore and hind wings.

Do the front and back wings always move together?

No. The second paper notes that dragonflies are often observed flying with fore and hind wings operating somewhat out of phase, and that a wide range of phase relationships has been described.

Does changing the wing timing save energy?

It can. The second paper reports that with the appropriate fore–hind wing phasing, aerodynamic power requirements can be reduced up to 22 per cent compared with a single pair of wings. Phase changes can also raise power needs, so the effect depends on the setting.

Is the efficiency result based on real dragonflies?

The phasing study measured a robotic hovering model dragonfly. The sources do not present the figure as a field measurement of living dragonflies.

Sources

• Flight of the dragonflies and damselflies. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4992713/ (opened 2026-10-28, HTTP 200)
• Phasing of dragonfly wings can improve aerodynamic efficiency by removing swirl. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2607445/ (opened 2026-10-28, HTTP 200)