Endophytic eggs These 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.
Dragonfly eggs are often surrounded by a jelly-like substance which enables them to stick to vegetation 🌿 Once hatched, dragonfly larvae (also know as nymphs!) live in the water until they develop into dragonflies.
How long does it take for dragonfly eggs to hatch?
After mating between the male and female dragonfly, the female dragonfly places her eggs at a stationary spot; in still water or pond. The eggs take one to five weeks to hatch.
The females lay eggs in or near water which usually hatch after a few weeks whilst the eggs of some species lie dormant over winter. The hatched larvae feed on live prey including small fish which may be larger than themselves.
Most dragonfly females lay their eggs in mud or water. The nymphs hatch within a few weeks and then live in water for up to two years. Because of this, dragonflies are especially numerous near bodies of water.
From Nymph to Wings: The Dragonfly Life Cycle | Asia’s Weirdest | National Geographic Wild UK
Is it good to have dragonflies around?
In addition to their striking color and dazzling aerial displays, dragonflies make our outdoor experience more enjoyable by reducing those pesky mosquitoes and gnats. Each dragonfly eats 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes a day.
Underwater, aquatic plants, grasses and roots provide excellent cover to sleep among. On the land, dragonflies will sleep tucked away in bushes or under leaves, or sometimes more out in plain sight, if they feel sufficiently camouflaged. Dragonflies do sleep. Dragonflies also don't carry diseases or germs!
Dragonflies are most numerous during the summer. However, certain species come out earlier; some can be seen only in the spring, their flight seasons starting in late April or early May, and finished by mid-June.
Once they have taken adult form, dragonflies usually live for just a few months. This gives them enough time to breed and lay eggs. Many adult dragonflies are eaten by birds such as merlins and hobbies.
What does it mean when a dragonfly is in your garden?
Dragonflies have often been considered messengers from the spiritual, non-physical realms. If you've been seeing a lot of dragonflies lately, it could be your spirit guides or ancestors offering you guidance or protection.
The good news is that they do not have a stinger, just teeth. If you happen to find that you have been bitten by a dragonfly, there is no cause for alarm, as their bite is not enough to break the skin. When it comes to our pets – dogs or cats – the same is to be true.
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.
Fish, frogs, newts, and other larger aquatic creatures eat the dragonfly nymphs. Adult dragonflies are food for birds, lizards, bats, and even spiders!
Males: Narrow eye-spots behind eyes, narrow stripes on thorax. Only segment 9 of abdomen is completely blue, other segments are dorsally black and ventrally blue. Females: Pale-green thorax and abdomen, with segments 10 blue and 9 mostly blue.
While they are most effective in their larval stage, adult dragonflies can still eat up to 100, if not many more, mosquitoes per day. Not only do dragonflies control mosquito populations – they help control other bugs, too, like midges.
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.
-Female dragonflies lay their eggs on submerged aquatic plants, mud banks submerged in water, or if they can't find a better spot, directly in the water. Depending on the species, a female can lay hundreds or thousands of eggs during her lifespan.
However, dragonflies? No, they didn't get that memo. Walking is nearly impossible for them due to the way their legs are positioned. They seem to have been designed for skydiving rather than walking.
Don't worry - they don't bite us. They're completely harmless, and actually helpful for humans, as they hunt the pesky insects that bother us. There are 57 species of Odonata in the UK: 36 dragonflies (Anisoptera) and 21 damselflies (Zygoptera).
The colour of adult dragonflies changes with age. Tenerals (newly emerged adults) can appear very pale and may not have their mature colouration yet. You may have to look closely for any emerging markings or patterns to help identify it. Similarly very mature adults can appear much darker.
Do dragonflies drink? Adults get much of the water they need from the food they eat, but will drink from water surfaces or droplets of dew. Small nymphs feed on tiny aquatic invertebrates. As they grow they eat larger invertebrates and even small fish and tadpoles.
Dragonflies live near ponds – but will hang out near any body of water. The dragonfly population tends to explode during rainy summers. That's because rain attracts mosquitoes, and mosquitoes attract dragonflies. Dragonflies like to lay their eggs in just about any shallow body of water.
Pidwerbesky explains that dragonflies and nymphs have quite different diets: Nymphs eat mainly aquatic insects, insect larvae and small crustaceans, but will also eat tadpoles and small fish. Adult dragonflies eat flies, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, bees, mosquitoes — and even other dragonflies.
