Four wings, four motors
How Does a Dragonfly Fly Backwards?
A dragonfly can hover, fly backwards, and turn on the spot, because each of its four wings is driven separately.
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Step 1 of 5
Most insects drive all wings together.
A bee or a fly has one set of muscles squeezing the whole chest, and all the wings move as one. That is efficient and gives almost no independent control.
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Step 2 of 5
A dragonfly drives each wing on its own.
Muscles attach directly to each wing base. Changing one wing's angle or timing alone lets the dragonfly push in almost any direction without turning its body first.
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Step 3 of 5
Out of step beats in step.
Front and back wings usually beat out of phase, so as one pair pushes down the other is recovering. That smooths the force out and cuts the wasted energy of a jerky flap.
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Step 4 of 5
Tilt the push, and it goes backwards.
Flight is just aiming the push. Angle all four wings so the air goes forwards and the dragonfly goes back — no turning, no run-up, from a standing hover.
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Step 5 of 5
It hunts by predicting, not chasing.
A dragonfly flies to where its prey is going to be rather than following it. Combined with eyes that see almost all the way round, it catches over nine attempts in ten.
A dragonfly's eyes have around thirty thousand separate lenses and wrap so far round its head that it can see behind itself.
The short version
A dragonfly hovers and flies backwards because each of its four wings has its own muscles, so it can aim the push anywhere.
Try it yourself
Row a boat with both oars, then with one. Independent control is what turns straight-line power into steering.