Dragonflies and damselflies are declining due to wetland loss and water quality degradation, with their welfare potentially relevant given emerging invertebrate sentience science.
Dragonfly and damselfly welfare sits at the speculative frontier of invertebrate welfare science. These insects have relatively complex nervous systems for invertebrates, engage in sophisticated predatory behaviour, show territorial behaviour with clear individual variation, and can learn from experience in laboratory conditions. Whether they experience pain or subjective states in ways that are morally relevant remains scientifically uncertain and philosophically contested. However, their role as indicators of wetland ecosystem health - they are among the most sensitive biological indicators of water quality and habitat quality - means that protecting dragonfly populations serves broader welfare interests by indicating conditions that support a diverse community of species with potentially higher welfare relevance. Wetland restoration that supports dragonfly populations also benefits frogs, fish, birds, and other species with clearer welfare needs. The emerging scientific interest in insect welfare science may, in coming years, provide better evidence about dragonfly and damselfly welfare capacity. In the meantime, the precautionary welfare principle argues for management that protects these remarkable animals from habitat destruction and pollution.