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The nymphs are voracious predators and feed by means of a flat labium (a toothed mouthpart on the lower jaw) that forms the so-called mask; it is rapidly extended to seize and pierce the Daphnia (water fleas), mosquito larvae, and other small aquatic organisms on which damselfly nymphs feed.
Damselfly larvae are narrow-bodied aquatic insects with large eyes, six thin legs, and three paddle-shaped, tail-like gills at the hind end. Damselfly nymphs are common residents of marshes, ponds, lakes, streams, and other aquatic habitats.
The damselfly has three developmental stages in its life: egg, larva and imago (adult). The first stage begins when the female uses her ovipositor to lay her eggs in aquatic vegetation or into mud. She does this in summer, before dying in early autumn at the latest.
Immature damselflies, called larvae (or sometimes nymphs or naiads), are, with very few exceptions, aquatic predators in freshwater habitats such as ponds, streams, and even tree holes. The larvae capture prey by shooting out the long, hinged lower lip, or “mask.”
Damselfly larvae, also known as nymphs, are aquatic and have an elongated, slender body. Nymphs develop through a series of instars, shedding their exoskeleton as they grow. The time taken for nymphs to develop depends on factors like species, temperature, and food availability.
Damselflies are more demure, placing their wings gently together on their backs to cover their butts. If you’re looking at their nymph stage, these don’t have wings and will be underwater. You can tell a damselfly larva by its three-pronged tail, looking a lot like a shrimp. 2. They are formidable aquatic predators
Larval damselflies, living underwater, feed on a range of aquatic organisms, including larvae of other insects, small tadpoles, and even small fish. The larval stage is particularly important for controlling mosquito populations, as they often consume mosquito larvae.
Damselfly larvae are narrow-bodied aquatic insects with large eyes, six thin legs, and three paddle-shaped, tail-like gills at the hind end.
The Great Spreadwing is our largest damselfly. Males and females are typically different in color, with the male showing more brilliant color, though some female damsels are also brightly colored. In some species females have both a male-form and a female-form color pattern. (5) plate 6f and others.
While dragonflies have an abdomen ending in five points, Damselfly larvae have abdomens ending in 3 leaf-like gills, which are fragile and sometimes broken off or lost. The long tail-like structures at the end of the damselfly's abdomen are gills that are used to obtain oxygen from the water.