There are three stages in the life-cycle of all dragonflies: egg, larva (also known as a nymph) and adult.
Dragonflies are insects. They have three stages in their life cycle: egg – larva – adult. Adult dragonflies have a long and slender abdomen, two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. They also have very large eyes.
Dragonflies are insects. They have three stages in their life cycle: egg – larva – adult.
Adult dragonflies have a long and slender abdomen, two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. They also have very large eyes.
Adult dragonflies live near streams, lakes and ponds. The larvae live in streams, lakes and ponds among plants and rocks.
dragonfly larvae stages
Audience and PurposeThis document will explain the life cycle of a dragonfly, and will be broken down into sectionsbased on the chronological life stages of this insect. Each section will be further broken down toinclude a photograph of the stage being discussed, and an explanation of what each stage entails.This document was prepared for the general public, and is meant to be a basic informationaldescription of the life process of the common dragonfly for anyone with a curiosity to learn moreabout these unique insects.
The dragonfly is a large,colorful, predatory insectgenerally found in or nearwatery locations in both theNorthern and SouthernHemispheres. There are morethan 5,000 known species ofdragonflies, and fossil evidencesuggests that they’ve been onthe earth for many years. Theyhave long, thin, colorful bodies,six legs, large eyes, and twopairs of transparent wings thatallow them to propelthemselves up, down, forward,backward and side to sidewhile in flight. They areproficient fliers, and tend to only catch prey and eat while flying. They come in a variety of colorsand are considered to be mostly beneficial because of their ability to control the population ofother nuisance bugs such as mosquitos, termites, gnats, flies and other flying insects.
what do dragonfly larvae eat
Dragonfly larvae live underwater before emerging as adults. Dragonfly larvae: Eat a lot of smaller insects and even small fish, making them high on the food chain. Each time a predator eats prey with mercury inside, they take up that toxin too.
dragonfly Egg
Female dragonflies can lay hundreds of eggs during their adult lives, in batches over a few days or even weeks.
Endophytic eggs are elongated in shape and are laid into plant material. All damselflies and hawker dragonflies have scythe-like ovipositors and inject their eggs into plant stems or leaves, rotten wood or mud on or close to the surface of the water. Emerald damselflies and Migrant Hawkers inject their eggs into rush stems well above the water surface, while other hawkers lay into rotten wood or other debris just above the waterline (see Brown Hawkers, right). The Golden-ringed Dragonfly lays its eggs by hovering vertically and stabbing its abdomen into stream-beds.
Exophytic eggs are round in shape, laid in a jelly-like substance and are deposited loosely into water. Species that lay this type of egg include some emerald dragonflies as well as chasers, skimmers and darters. They do this by repeatedly dipping the tips of their abdomens into water, each time releasing one or more eggs that settle below the surface.
During egg-laying, male damselflies, chasers, skimmers and darters guard the females with which they have just mated, either by staying linked ‘in tandem’ or by flying in close attendance. Some female damselflies submerge completely to lay their eggs, often using their still-attached partner to pull them up again afterwards.
Eggs hatch either within 2–5 weeks or, in the case of the emerald damselflies and some hawkers and darters, the following spring.
dragonfly Larva
A tiny tadpole-like prolarva emerges from the egg. If the egg is laid above water, the prolarva wriggles to safety as soon as it hatches and moults within a few hours. Prolarvae that hatch below water moult almost immediately.
Dragonflies spend most of their lives in their larval stage. During its time the dragonfly catches and eats live prey at every opportunity, moulting a further 5–14 times until it is fully-grown. Larval development typically takes one or two years, but ranges from 2–3 months (emerald damselflies) to more than five years (Golden-ringed Dragonfly). Development takes longer in cooler waters where food is scarcer, whilst in warm waters there may be a new generation every year.
Damselfly larvae can be separated from Dragonfly larvae by their caudal lamellae, which are fin-like structures at the end of their abdomen that act as external gills.
All dragonfly larvae have six legs (as do adults), wing-sheaths, an extendable hinged jaw (labium) that can shoot out in an instant and catch prey. Prey includes insect larvae, crustaceans, worms, snails, leeches, tadpoles and small fish. Dragonfly larvae themselves can fall victim to predators, including other dragonfly larvae, fish and waterfowl.
All dragonfly larvae have six legs (as do adults), wing-sheaths, an extendable hinged jaw (labium) that can shoot out in an instant and catch prey. Prey includes insect larvae, crustaceans, worms, snails, leeches, tadpoles and small fish. Dragonfly larvae themselves can fall victim to predators, including other dragonfly larvae, fish and waterfowl.
The larvae of some species are covered in hairs that collect silt or organic debris from the soft sediment within which they live. Others are coloured green and/or brown, which helps to provide camouflage amongst the submerged plants and algae they inhabit. Species living in bottom sediments have relatively poor eyesight, but instead use their hairs, long legs and antennae to sense prey. By contrast, hawkers have large eyes and hunt by sight amongst plants nearer the surface.
dragonfly Emergence
Dragonflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis; unlike other winged insects, such as butterflies, dragonflies do not have a pupal stage and transition straight from a larva to an adult. This transition, the final larval moult, takes place out of water. This metamorphosis is triggered by day length and temperature, and is synchronised in some species, such as Emperor Dragonfly.
The final-stage larvae sit in shallow water, near the margins, for several days, getting ready for their final moult and starting to breathe air. Most species leave the water during the morning, but hawkers do so under cover of darkness. Larvae climb up emergent vegetation, although some may walk several metres over dry land before finding somewhere suitable to emerge. After finding a secure support, they redistribute their body fluids, pushing the thorax, head, legs and wings out of the larval skin. There is then a pause of about 30 minutes to allow their legs to harden enough for the next stage, when the abdomen is withdrawn. The wings, and then the abdomen, are expanded and start to harden. This process leaves behind a cast skin, called an exuvia, and the whole process lasts between one hour (Damselflies) to three hours (Dragonflies).
The dragonfly’s first flight (maiden flight) is weak and typically covers only a few metres. At such times, dragonflies are especially vulnerable to predation by birds, such as the Hobby. Other hazards include rainfall, which can damage soft tissue during emergence.
dragonfly Adult
Tenerals are newly-emerged adult dragonflies that are weak in flight and pale in colouration. As the body and wings harden off they begin hunting for food whenever fine weather permits. They spend about a week feeding away from water and gradually acquire adult colouration and sexual maturity.
When mature, adults move back to the water to breed. The males of some species are territorial and battle constantly to obtain and defend a suitable breeding sites. They investigate any male intruders, as well as females, which they will try to seize and mate with. Territorial species are always found in smaller numbers than gregarious species, such as the blue Damselflies, which may be present in hordes.
Mating in dragonflies is unique. The male first transfers sperm from near the tip of his abdomen to accessory genitalia near the top of the abdomen. He then grasps a female by the back of the head with his abdominal claspers (tandem position). The female curls the tip of her abdomen to meet the male’s accessory genitalia and sperm is transferred (the wheel position). This process can take a few seconds (in species of Chasers) or many hours (Blue-tailed Damselflies).
The life-expectancy of adults is short, typically no more than a week or two, but sometimes they can last 6–8 weeks. Adult dragonflies have voracious appetites, and can be observed hunting other flying insects, particularly small flies, on sunny days.
Dragonfly Life Cycle
Let’s learn about the life cycle of dragonflies as they transform from eggs, to nymphs to awesomely beautiful flying machines! These fascinating insects have four distinct stages: egg, larval (or nymph), emergence, and adult. We will explore them briefly.
THE EGG STAGE
Female dragonflies, like hawkers and darners, lay endophytic eggs. This means that scythe-like ovipositors are used to inject these elongated eggs into plant stems, leaves, rotten wood, or debris that is at or near the surface of a water source. Sometimes the eggs are injected directly into stream or pond sediment.
Other dragonflies, like emeralds, skimmers and clubtails, extrude round exophytic eggs from a special pore on the underside of their abdomens. There are two methods for depositing eggs: flying low over water and dropping their eggs as they go; or dipping the tips of their abdomens into water, releasing their eggs. The eggs sink to the bottom sediment or are deposited onto aquatic vegetation. Dragonflies that lay their eggs directly into water can produce thousands of eggs during their lifetime.
Once deposited, the time required for egg hatching is quite variable – from days to months or more.
THE LARVAL OR NYMPH STAGE
Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent in the larval stage. Typical larval development is one or two years, but it can range from a few months to over 5 years, depending, in part, upon ambient water temperatures. (Warmer temperatures generally equate to shorter larval development periods.)
Dragonfly nymphs have six legs, wing sheaths, and an extendable hinged jaw. During this aquatic stage, nymphs breathe through gills that are located inside their rectums. Dragonflies pull water into their rectum to breathe. The act of expelling water from their rectums allows them to propel forward to catch their desired prey. Like their adult counterparts, nymphs have a voracious appetite and are accomplished predators. They will eat insect larvae, crustaceans, worms, snails, leeches, tadpoles and even small fish.
In warm climates, the dragonfly larval stage may only take a few months but, in colder climates, this stage can last several years. During this stage, dragonfly larvae will molt between 9 and 17 times as they proceed toward their emergence as an adult.
DRAGONFLY EMERGENCE
The dragonfly’s final larval molt takes place out of water. For several days, the final-stage larvae live near the water margin. As they get ready for their final molt, they start breathing air. The larvae then climb up emergent vegetation where they redistribute their body fluids, as they push their thorax, head, legs and wings out of the larval skin. They rest for about 30 minutes allowing their legs to harden before the abdomen emerges from the larval skin (exoskeleton). This emergence process takes about three hours.
THE ADULT STAGE
After emergence, the young dragonfly must then wait hours (sometimes days) for their wings to harden before taking their first flight. The newly emerged dragonfly’s first flight is weak and rather short, only a few meters. It will also take days for the dragonfly’s full coloration to become evident. As their bodies and wings harden, they begin hunting for food. In about a week, they acquire their adult coloration and sexual maturity. The life expectancy of adult dragonflies is generally no more than one to two weeks, however, some dragonflies can live six to eight weeks. This is probably why dragonflies do not waste any time getting to the mating game!
Within a few days, the dragonfly or damselfly usually exhibits its full adult colors and gains the strong flying ability that is characteristic of odonates. Having reached sexual maturity, this new generation will start searching for mates and begin the life cycle again.
