Dragonflies have nearly 360-degree vision, allowing them to see in virtually every direction simultaneously.

Dragonflies belong to the order Odonata, a group of predatory insects that has existed for over 300 million years. Their visual system is among the most sophisticated in the animal kingdom. Each of their two compound eyes contains between 28,000 and 30,000 ommatidia—tiny independent photoreception units arranged in a spherical pattern that provides a panoramic view of the environment.Dragonflies process visual information at extraordinary speed. They have a flicker fusion frequency of up to 300 Hz, compared to the 60 Hz that humans perceive. This allows them to see the world in slow motion, making it easy to intercept moving targets mid-air with a 95% hunting success rate. Research published in journals like Nature and Current Biology has documented these remarkable visual capabilities.Beyond their 360-degree range, dragonflies possess three smaller simple eyes called ocelli. These detect light and motion, helping the insect maintain stability and orientation during complex flight maneuvers. Additionally, while humans have trichromatic vision (seeing three primary colors), some dragonfly species have up to 30 different visual proteins called opsins. This allows them to perceive ultraviolet and polarized light, which are invisible to the human eye.