Dragonfly larvae illustration skin#

Fossils of damselfly-like Protozygoptera date back further to 311–30 Mya. The earliest larval odonate fossils are from the Mesozoic. All the fossils of that age are of adults, similar in structure to modern damselflies, so it is not known whether their larvae were aquatic at that time.

The Zygoptera are an ancient group, with fossils known from the lower Permian, at least 250 million years ago. Damselflies are sometimes represented in personal jewellery such as brooches. The pair often remain together with the male still clasping the female while she lays eggs within the tissue of plants in or near water using a robust ovipositor.Īrtificial fishing flies that mimic damselfly nymphs are used in wet- fly fishing. A mating pair form a shape known as a 'heart' or 'wheel', the male clasping the female at the back of the head, the female curling her abdomen down to pick up sperm from secondary genitalia at the base of the male's abdomen. Like dragonflies, they reproduce using indirect insemination and delayed fertilisation. Many species are sexually dimorphic, the males often being more brightly coloured than the females. Some species of damselfly have elaborate courtship behaviours. Their presence on a body of water indicates that it is relatively unpolluted, but their dependence on freshwater makes them vulnerable to damage to their wetland habitats.

Dragonfly larvae illustration skin#

The skin splits down the back, they emerge and inflate their wings and abdomen to gain their adult form. The nymphs moult repeatedly, at the last moult climbing out of the water to undergo metamorphosis. The nymphs are aquatic, with different species living in a variety of freshwater habitats including acidic bogs, ponds, lakes and rivers. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian beginning about 299 million years ago, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.Īll damselflies are predatory insects both nymphs and adults actively hunt and eat other insects. Most species fold the wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Platycnemididae – white-legged damselfliesĭamselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata.Read more about dragonfly larvae as bioindicators from Eagles-Smith et al.

Mercury concentrations in dragonfly larvae reflect those found in fish and amphibians collected from the same places.

Are a surrogate for other freshwater animals.They are found on every continent except Antarctica. Live in many different habitats, including ones where fish do not live.They are also smaller than many fish, making them easier to sample and analyze. Are easy to catch with a net and to identify, unlike fish.Therefore, mercury in dragonfly larvae can tell us if there is a risk to humans and other animals. Those fish and birds are then eaten by other fish, birds, and mammals. Each time a predator eats prey with mercury inside, they take up that toxin too. Eat a lot of smaller insects and even small fish, making them high on the food chain.Dragonfly larvae live underwater before emerging as adults.