10 January 2025
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Olivia Watts from the Field Studies Council explores the hidden underwater world of dragonflies.
Dragonflies are large , vibrant dirt ball that have been around for over 300 million years , long pre - existing the dinosaurs ! They are regularly ascertain in summertime , dart above pond and river , but did you roll in the hay they spend most of their lifetime subaquatic ?
Dragonfly life cycle
These insect giant can be seen across the UK , flying near bodies of water during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . The UK is dwelling house to a variety of dragonfly species , each with slight variations in feeding , habitat preference , and lifecycle . However , all devil’s darning needle undergo these principal sprightliness stages : egg , larvae , and adult .
Of these life level , the longest is when they spend most of their animation underwater as larvae ( also call ‘ nymph ’ ) . This can be between one and five years , depending on the species . Adult darning needle typically live for one or two week , but some populate for up to eight weeks .
The larvae have six legs , a head with great eyes , an stomach and an extendable jaw . They are typically duller in color than the adults , supporting tones of browned and green . It is unlikely that you will see the larva unless you go look for them , but a quick pool dip can lead in some awe-inspiring find !
Ferocious feeders
Both grownup and larval dragonflies are carnivorous . The larva are ferocious Hunter and predate other aquatic living , from tiny pee flea to large prey like tadpoles and fish .
One version that makes them such successful vulture is their extendable hinged jaw , which will project frontwards at gamey focal ratio to capture prey in the eye blink of an heart .
Dragonfly exuviae
When ready to transmute into adults , the larvae crawling out of the water and encounter a desirable stead to emerge from their exoskeleton , which is the arduous outer casing of an insect . The emergence process is finespun , and the come out grownup is extremely vulnerable to piranha because their wings are soft , and they can not wing until they have hardened .
Once it has vaporize by , all that is lead is the thin , fragile , out casing of the larva , screw as the exuviae . A close flavour at this reveals where features like their optic and jaw once were . you’re able to also see a kettle of fish in the exuviae where the grownup issue .
see the alien - look exuviae on a pond ’s sharpness signal devil’s darning needle are fill in their lifecycle there . With the right knowledge , they can also be identify to species to narrow down what lives in your pond .
often Asked Questions
Q. Do damselflies also pass part of their life underwater ?
A. Yes . Damselfly nymphs calculate similar to dragonfly nymphs but are daintier , with feather - like gills ( caudal lamella ) at the end of their bodies .
Q. When can you see the larvae and exuviae ?
A. Dragonfly larva can be find subaqueous year around , and pond dipping is a great activity for see them . The exuviae can be found on the water ’s bound from late outflow into summer , with some of the last adult devil’s darning needle issue in August .
Interested to learn more about dragonflies ?
you’re able to find out more about these entrancing insects with course and guide provided by the Field Studies Council : www.field - studies - council.org
