Yellow-winged owlfly Coloring Pages

Not a Dragonfly?! A Mysterious Friend

The Japanese name has "dragonfly" in it, but this insect is actually closer to antlions! Dragonflies have very strong wing muscles. But the Yellow-winged owlfly flies gracefully with fluttering wings.

How It Got Its Name and Its English Name

Its name comes right from how it looks!

• "Yellow wings": It has bright yellow wings.

• "Horns": It has long feelers (horns) like a butterfly.

• "Dragonfly": Its big eyes and shape look just like a dragonfly. In English, it is called the Yellow-winged owlfly. Its group name means "owl-like fly," but this kind loves the sun and is active during the day!

Where Does It Live?

It lives in sunny, wide-open grassy fields and near riverbanks. You cannot find it just anywhere. It only appears in places with lots of healthy nature. Places where it can live are shrinking, so it is becoming very rare in some areas.

When Can You See It?

You can only see adults for a very short time each year. They appear from spring to early summer, around late April to June. The males fly super fast over grass to search for females. They disappear when summer ends, so they let us know the season is changing.

What Does It Eat to Grow?

Both adults and babies are meat-eating hunters that catch other bugs.

• Adults: They catch small flying flies in mid-air to eat.

• Larvae (Babies): They hide on the ground or under dry leaves. Then they grab passing bugs with their big jaws!

Long Feelers Like a Butterfly

The best feature of the Yellow-winged owlfly is its long feelers! Normal dragonflies have tiny feelers you can barely see. But this insect's feelers are as long as its whole body! The ends are round and bumpy, looking just like a butterfly's feelers.

A Cool Body Covered in Fluffy Hair

If you look closely, its chest and belly have lots of black hair. This fluffy hair makes its yellow wings stand out, making it look super cool and strong!

Masters of Hide-and-Seek! The Larvae

The babies look totally different from their parents. They look like flat antlions with lots of prickly bumps on their bodies. They are brown or gray just like the dirt. They wait under dry leaves for prey, making them masters of hide-and-seek!

Color Bright Yellow and Black Separately

The best part of the Yellow-winged owlfly is its bright yellow wings.

• First, color the whole wing with a light yellow.

• Color the base of the wings and the pattern areas neatly with black or dark brown. This makes the yellow pop and look super cool!

• Its body is covered in pitch-black fur. Move your pencil in small strokes to make it look fluffy.

Tips to Make Wings Look See-Through

The wings of this bug have fine lines that look like a net.

• After you color them yellow, draw light net patterns with a thin pen or a sharp colored pencil.

• The tips of the wings are almost clear. Color them lightly or leave some white. It will look real with light shining through!

Make the Eyes Look Like Jewels

The Yellow-winged owlfly has huge eyes with a cool shape.

• Try coloring the eyes with shiny gray or dark green.

• Make the center a bit darker. Leave a tiny white spot near the edge for a shine. They will sparkle just like jewels!

Match the Baby Bug to the Ground

When coloring the larva, plain colors work best, unlike the grown-up!

• Mix brown, gray, and dark brown. Make it look like dirt or dry leaves.

• Outline the spikes on its side and its big jaws with a darker color. It will look like a strong hunter!

Draw a Background to Make a Grassy Field

Picture the Yellow-winged owlfly flying over a field.

• Add a blue sky or tall green grass to the background. This shows where it lives and makes a great picture!

• Imagine it resting on a grass stem. It is fun to color the stem neatly with brown or light green!

Not a Friend of Dragonflies!?

Even though its name includes "tonbo" (dragonfly), it is actually not a dragonfly at all. It is an insect in the "net-winged insect" group, just like antlions and lacewings. It is a very rare creature!

Its Long "Horns" Are Its Best Feature

It got its name because the long antennae growing from its head look like "splendid horns." The tips of the antennae are round like matchsticks. It has a mysterious face that looks a little like a butterfly, too.

Cool Yellow and Black Wings

Unlike regular dragonflies, its wings are not clear. Its big special feature is its "tiger-like pattern" of yellow and black! It only shows up for a short time from spring to early summer, flying over sunny grassy fields at amazing speeds.

The Babies Are Relatives of Antlions

It flies in the sky as an adult, but as a baby, it lives on the ground. It has big jaws on its face and looks just like an "antlion." But it does not build cone-shaped pit traps. Instead, it waits quietly under rocks or in the shade of grass to catch its prey!