Where do damselflies lay their eggs?

Where do damselflies lay their eggs?

water surface
Dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs on the water surface, or insert them into moss, debris, or aquatic vegetation. After hatching, the larvae hunt and grow in their watery kingdoms until it is time for them to emerge as adults.

What is the life cycle of a damselfly?

Damselflies are insects. They have three stages in their life cycle: egg – larva – adult. They have a long and slender abdomen, two pairs of wings and three pairs of long legs.

How do damselfly mate?

To mate, damselflies join together in the “wheel” position and commonly fly in tandem this way. Afterward, the male will usually remain attached to the female as she lays eggs. When doing so he retains his grip on the front portion of the female’s thorax, using claspers located at the tip of his abdomen.

Are damselflies born in water?

The life span of damselflies varies between species and within species depending on environmental factors. After one to three weeks, the eggs, laid in water, usually hatch, releasing the larvae or nymphs, but eggs laid in late summer may overwinter before hatching.

How long do damselfly eggs take to hatch?

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.

Why is a damselfly called a damselfly?

Zygoptera (damselflies) means “equal winged,” while Anisoptera (dragonflies) means “unequal winged.” When they are not flying, damselflies usually hold their wings up over their backs (with the exception of spread-winged damsels), but dragonflies hold their wings open and to the sides.

Does damselfly go through metamorphosis?

Unlike butterflies, damselflies do not hide away inside a pupa to transform into their adult form. Instead, they shed their skin several times as they grow, changing shape a little each time. This process is called incomplete metamorphosis, and it occurs in grasshoppers, crickets, bugs, dragonflies, and cockroaches.

How can you tell if a damselfly is male or female?

The abdomen is long and slender and consists of ten segments. The secondary genitalia in males are on the undersides of segments two and three and are conspicuous, making it easy to tell the sex of the damselfly when viewed from the side. The female genital opening is on the underside between segments eight and nine.

Why does the male damselfly hang on to the female?

After completing the mating wheel, the male damselfly remains clasped on to the female’s neck to ensure that she lays her eggs using his sperm. Presumably, in the above examples the female isn’t hurt that much by mandibles or claws since she’s protected by an exoskeleton.

How long do damselflies mate for?

Mating lasts less than five minutes in banded demoiselles, though can take longer in other damselfly and dragonfly species. Afterwards the pair separate, but the male guards the female from rivals while she lays her eggs.