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. 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.
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