Damselfly

Description:

Eggs are laid in emerging plants, in floating vegetation, or directly in the water. The hatched eggs do not go through the larval and pupal stages. A naiad (nymph of damselfly) lives in water, has an elongated body, long legs, and three leaf-like appendages or gills on its tail. These appendages are used for oxygen transport. A naiad molts several times before emerging. At this stage, naiads are very good predators. They prey aquatic insects and other arthropods within their reach. They grab their prey with their modified lower jaw. At the last stage, a naiad swims out of the water and clings to a plant to dry its skin. After a few minutes of drying in the sun, its outer skin splits open at the head and the adult damselfly strains to pull itself out of its old skin. The new legs harden to hold onto the plant. Its wings slowly expand and are pumped open by fluid from its abdomen. An adult damselfly has a long thin body which is green, blue, red, yellow, black, or brown and is often brightly colored. It has an oblong head with bulging eyes and very short antennae. When resting, it holds its four large membranous wings of nearly equal size vertically rather than horizontally. It is a delicate and weak-flying insect. Its wings are usually clear except for a spot at the end of the wing called a stigma.

Habitat:

Damselflies live in rice paddies, streams, and ponds with good water quality at low and middle elevations.