Why do odonates have no pupal stage?

Odonates, which include dragonflies and damselflies, do not have a pupal stage because they undergo hemimetabolous (incomplete) metamorphosis rather than the complete metamorphosis seen in orders like butterflies or beetles.12

In this developmental pattern, the insect does not require an inactive, nonfeeding pupal stage to transition between larval and adult forms. Instead, the odonate larva develops through a series of instars, molting periodically as it grows. Toward the end of the final larval instar, the insect stops feeding, and its internal organs transform into adult structures while still contained within the larval skin. The process concludes with emergence, where the insect climbs out of the water and molts one final time to disclose the fully formed adult.13