How does an odonate larva become a winged adult?

Odonates do not undergo a pupal stage; instead, they transition from an aquatic larva (sometimes called a naiad) to a winged adult through a process called emergence.12

Toward the end of the final instar, the larva stops feeding as its internal organs transform into those of an adult within its existing larval skin. Once this development is complete, the larva climbs out of the water onto a stable support, such as vegetation. It then sheds its larval skin to disclose the adult form.12

This transition is a critical period, as the newly emerged odonate is particularly vulnerable to predators like birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Depending on the species and environmental conditions, this process typically occurs during the day, though some large dragonflies may emerge at night to take flight by sunrise.1