Freshly emerged Damselfly.

[goosey]

I noticed that the flag iris foliage had sprouted a huge amount over the last week as I was walking along the water. Then a a freshly emerged damselfly caught my eye on a leaf drying out. As I tried to get a better position without falling in the water I noticed more and more - there were dozens all moreless at the same stage and all with the exuvia they had just emerged from.
In image 2 the wings are not as developed as the first and the exuvia looks alot fresher.

I am not at all sure what which type of damselfly they are - I take it they are damselfly as the dragon fly exuviae I saw last year were larger.

Any ideas to the identity?

1. 2.

[Suzanne B]

Hi Goosey.
No idea on the identity I'm afraid, but what fantastic photos!!
How amazing that they emerge and leave what looks like another damselfly behind, it's a really interesting process isn't it.
A very lucky find indeed, I only wish there was someone taking a photo of you taking a photo of the damselflies!

[goosey]

Thanks Suzanne, it is interesting , I have just been checking up on the life cycles of Dragonflies. I sort of knew what happened but wasn't sure .

Most of a dragonflies life span is in the water before it becomes an adult. The shortest dragonfly's life-cycle from egg to death as an adult is about 6 months. Some of the larger dragonflies can take up to 6 or 7 years! Damselflies live for a couple of weeks as free-flying adults. The larger dragonflies can live for 4 months in their flying stage.

After dragonflies have mated in mid air, the female dragonfly will lay her eggs on a plant in the water, or will just drop them into the water (if a dragonfly lays eggs in the water it show that the water quality is good). Once the egg hatches in the water, it becomes a nymph where it continues to live, for several weeks (or years depending on species). It sheds its skin – moults, several times as it grows. When it is time for the final moult and the weather is favourable it will climb out of the water and up the stem of a plant. Then the skin will split and an adult will emerge. This is what has recently happened in my images, before they can fly off they have to wait for their wings to unfold and dry.
The empty skin that the nymph left behind is called an exuvia.

[H Dogg]

These are both Large Red Damselflies Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Damselfly larvae are identified by the appendages (Lamella) at the rear of the abdomen (caudal) so these appendages are known as Caudal lamella. They vary from species to species. In P.nymphula they are quite distinctive with a dark mark/cross on them. You can also see the colour starting to come through on the emerged insect. (although this is not a safe feature to use as newly emerged specimens are often a very different colour to mature ones).

[goosey]

Thanks H - you're a star . I have changed the titles on the images.
Next time I go there I might get to see lots of Large red damselflies!

[H Dogg]

My pleasure . Great so see some damselflies emerging, although it wont be until May that I see any reds up here. Its usually the first species to emerge, interesting that you saw so many though they are a common species but not usually one found in abundance.

[goosey]

Today, there were hundreds of Large red damselflies all along this stretch of water, far more than the emerging ones two days ago. Their wings were glistening in the sunlight and it was like walking in a mist of damselflies and midges.

[H Dogg]

This photo is a female, it shows f.fulvipes. Although not rare its not the usual form that they come in.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by H Dogg

This photo is a female, it shows f.fulvipes. Although not rare its not the usual form that they come in.

Very clever H!
I didn't even know there were different colour forms for females, f. melanotum and f.fulvipes, thanks for pointing it out. I will have to try and recognise the difference myself.
I take it then, there is only one male form and isn't bothered which form of female he mates with?

[H Dogg]

Yes one male form three female forms. The male will breed with any of the forms and females of can produce offspring of different forms. The only warning about males is that they can look like female's when they are still newly emerged (newly emerged have gold stripes on the thorax, as do mature females).