The wing design and size of damselflies is somewhat malleable, depending on habitat. Dragonflies hatch in water and remain there until their final molt in which their wings become fully developed and they are able to permanently leave the water. This brings us to the nymphs (larvae), which are found exclusively in the water, often hiding under rocks and in plants, but they can sometimes be seen darting about as they hunt. Water is required for reproduction, so they’re typically not far from a source. Coenagrionidae are also known as the pond damselflies, and is the most commonly encountered family worldwide, containing some of the smallest species, often with curved abdomens or tails and very thin wings.ĭependent on species – range from least concern to vulnerableĭamselfly Habitats – Where Do They Live? Damselfly nymphs are found exclusively in slow-moving water, such as streams, ponds, and lakes, while adults (pictured) are found at or near these areas.Īs adults, damselflies can be found flying about in riparian forests, forests with regularly damp soils, occasionally plains, and near ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, and really any water body. Within Zygoptera, there are over 20 families (the exact number is contested due to newly emerging molecular data) that amount to around 3,000 different species of damselflies! Perhaps the most well-known families (or rather, the most easily recognizable by most people, even those not particularly enthralled by insects) are Calopterygidae (broad-winged damselflies) and Coenagrionidae (narrow-winged damselflies).Īlso known as the jewelwings, those in Calopterygidae can have strikingly brightly colored bodies, often cobalt or emerald, that seem to shimmer in the sun, and black or very dark wings, though not all species present this way. Damselfly bodies are also much more slender than that of dragonflies, oftentimes around half the circumference of the latter. The most noticeable difference lies in how each organism holds their wings – dragonflies hold theirs out and to the side, while damselflies hold theirs together above their back. ![]() However, while damselflies and dragonflies look quite a lot alike, they belong to different suborders – damselflies are in Zygoptera, while dragonflies are in Anisoptera. As evidenced by the previous statement, dragonflies can also be found in this order. ![]() 1.4.1 Are Damselflies or Damselfly Larvae Beneficial to Ponds? Damselflies hold their wings together above or parallel to their backs, rather than apart and to the side like dragonflies.ĭamselflies belong to the order Odonata, which is known to contain incredibly prehistoric organisms that have been around since the Permian period (think of those pictures of eagle-sized dragonflies that you likely were equal parts fascinated and terrified by as a child).
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