Which dragonfly family is known for widely separated compound eyes and a tail that bulges at the end, and is carnivorous in aquatic habitats?

• A. Gomphidae
• B. Lestidae
• C. Coenagrionidae
• D. Libellulidae

Answer: (A)

The trait tested is a distinctive combination of eye arrangement and tail shape that identifies a clubtail dragonfly. In this family the eyes sit widely apart on the head and do not meet, which is different from many other dragonflies where the eyes come close or touch. The abdomen ends in a conspicuous rounded bulge, forming a club at the tip. These physical features go hand in hand with a carnivorous lifestyle in aquatic habitats: the larvae are aquatic predators feeding on small invertebrates, and the adults prey on flying insects. Putting those clues together—the widely separated eyes, the clubbed tail, and aquatic carnivory—points to this dragonfly family.