Dragonfly, exuvia

Well it was a theory... :)
Actually I've been watching vids on Youtube and have seen exactly the same thing on several other bug-like critters.?

That's really astonishing fast. Thanks a lot for all the information, bayucca.

Now I know that I was wrong! These files are actually the remnants of the trachees from the old larvae. I was confused by the fact that the time from coming out of the water and first flight is only 1 to 2 ours. That's really miraculous how fast these systems work. I usually do not delete wrong IDs and "wrong" comments, so I just add the new one: Never to learn something new...

I think this white files are not for the respiration. Coming out of the water theses larvae are connecting to some grasses or leaves and then the new respiratory system by stigmata of the thorax will start. There are little openings in the body of the larva. I think that's the mechanism of respiration in dragonflies. Anyway quite a sophisticated technique.

@ bayucca - same type of species here at our ponds
@ Leuba -. Thank you...i guess things like that inspired H.R. Giger pretty much
@ Argy - yes, I think you might be right with he white strings providing the breathing functions...is this just a theory?

Nice set of pics Lars.
I have been trying to work out how these creatures handle their breathing when they moult. Those white strings look like they are part of the breathing story. Same white threads here.. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/105...

Brilliant pic #1 ! - great series Lars - looks metallic

I just noticed some at our pond and some dragies flying around, but did not check which species. Checked: I see some Libellula depressa (Plattbauch) and maybe some Libellula quadrimaculata (Vierfleck) and some smaller ones, the blue and red ones, damselfies (Frühe Adonislibelle and Azurjungfern). But yours is definitely a dragonfly.

Any Idea about the species, bayucca? (at least some direction to narrow it down?)

Thanks for the info, bayucca...going to change that :)

Cool, this definitely marks the beginning of dragonflies. These shells are called Exuvie in German and exuvia/exuviae for the rest.

Nice find :)

Thanks Matthijs

Very nice Lars!