At first glance they resemble Dragonflies and in fact are very similar and even have the same life cycle. However the vast majority of Damselflies are very much smaller than even the smallest Dragonfly. Damsels are usually (with a few exceptions) no thicker than a piece of cotton, with large Bulgy eyes, as pictured below.
The easiest way to distinguish a Damsel from a Dragon is its wing position at rest, most Damsel flies from our area rest with their wings folded across their backs, as pictured below.
Like Dragonflies their babies, or Nymphs as they are called, also start out their life in water, feeding on tadpoles, small fish and any other water creature that’s small enough to subdue and eat. An interesting fact I learned recently is that Damselfly nymphs breath through the little feathery things on their abdomen, so one could say that they breath through their butt….lol
View picture below of a Damselfly Nymph.
Like Dragonflies, once the Nymph reaches a certain size it climbs out of the water and sheds its exoskeleton for the final time, now having wings, more colour and able to fly about.
Like dragonflies they also come in various colours and sizes, enjoy the rest of the pictures.
Please feel free to visit my Photography page for more pictures of God’s amazing little creatures found in and around the Bluff: www.facebook.com/WkDickPhotography
God Bless
Warren K Dick
