Their bright eyes touch at a single point, and they can be found along small, clear, woodland streams, flying slowly 30 to 70 cm above the water.

These genera include Anotogaster, Cordulegaster, and Neallogaster, which have 15, 30, and 6 species respectively [5] The name Cordulegastridae comes from the Greek kordylinus, 'club-shaped' and gaster, belly.

[9] The females trap air bubbles with hairs along their bodies to allow them to reach the bottom of the water and deposit eggs into the substrate.

[8] Cordulegastridae nymphs will almost entirely conceal themselves in sand or silt, exposing only their eyes to see, antennae for sensing prey, and the tip of their abdomen to breathe dissolved oxygen.

The preferred habitat of Cordulegastridae nymphs are small lotic or flowing streams with clean sand and silt substrates.

[10][7] Adults on the other hand fly above clear streams and small rivers in the woods, with females only entering the water to lay their eggs.