Blue Dashers are one of the most abundant dragonflies in North America.
I have often heard that dragonflies only live for 24 hours but that is not the case and only true of Mayflies. Dragonflies actually live as dragonflies for between two and six months.

Most of the life cycle of a dragonfly is lived out in the nymph stage and you don't see them at all, unless you are swimming under water with your eyes open. Once the nymph is fully grown, which can take up to four years, it will complete it's metamorphosis into a dragonfly.