How to Grow Dragonflies

Acquire dragonfly eggs and larvae. You can find them at the bottom of a permanent body of water, like a pond or swamp. They can also be found in rivers and streams. Look for them in autumn. Alternatively, some bait and specialty stores sell eggs and larvae; contact these stores and ask about availability.

Simulate a dragonfly's natural habitat in your aquarium. Use aquatic plants, either real or plastic, found in a dragonfly's natural habitat. Any plants that thrive in marshes or ponds will suffice. Fill the aquarium with water.

Be sure to keep enough live food ready for the newly hatched larvae to eat. The larvae will not eat dead organisms, so consider breeding bloodworms and whiteworms alongside dragonflies. Alternatively, some specialty stores -- like fishing stores, for example -- sell bloodworms and whiteworms, so you also may be able to buy them.

Place a net over the top of the aquarium to keep adult dragonflies from escaping. You'll have plenty of time to do this -- dragonflies spend about a year in the larval stage.

Prepare an outdoor habitat for dragonflies in the same way you prepared the aquarium. Outdoors, use a larger body of water -- a wading pool should suffice, if you do not want to dig a pool in your backyard. Also use live plants located in a place with lots of sun and little wind. Dragonflies do not breed in captivity, so having an outdoor habitat is the best way to make them a permanent fixture in your environment.

Once the dragonflies emerge as full-grown adults, release them. They will find their way to your backyard on their own. They should eventually breed a new generation, and the species will become self-sustaining.