Today has been another exceptionally hot May day, and this afternoon I noticed quite a few recently emerged Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) on plants around my garden pond. And I was delighted to find one which had left it’s larval skin behind.
Dragonflies and damselflies don’t go through a pupation stage similar to other insects like butterflies and moths. Final-stage larvae may sit for several days in shallow water getting ready for their final moult, breathing air. The larvae climb up vegetation near the water’s edge and secure a perch for emergence. In the above images one individual has done just this, and climbed a fair distance to find a good spot for the final transformation. Amazingly, in this state they redistribute their body fluids and push out first their thorax, head, legs and wings. These are allowed to harden before the abdomen is finally withdrawn, which in turn needs time to harden. Transformation is complete, and an adult is born.
In the images directly above and below, things may have not gone quite to plan for this newly emerged damselfly. Note how the exuvia (the cast skin), is still attached. The wings have not fully retracted and are trapped within. It may eventually free itself, but until then it will not be able to fly and is at the mercy of predation.
In a future post I will combine some of the images to show the life cycle which has, to my great surprise, taken 11 months from egg to adult.
Rear garden pond, Staffordshire, England. May 2017.
Quite the process. These are fantastic images, Pete!
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Thank you, Sandy 🙂 Nature still continues to leave me in awe and amazement.
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Amazing photos! I like the info you have provided on the dragonflies and their other stages also going through metamorphosis which is my theme for my blog…. Great post!!
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Thank you very much, Aspaai 🙂
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That last shot is superb!
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Thank you 🙂
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Went walking around Winchcombe / Alderton / Toddington today. Didn’t see any dragonflies but did hear a cuckoo by way of compensation!
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That must have been fabulous especially as cuckoos are not as plentiful as they used to be.
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heard one on another occasion recently as well, but can’t remember where now
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Wow – I feel like he is really watching me in the last photo. Great capture! 🙂
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Thank you, Inger 🙂 He was a very good poser for me 😉
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What a treat – and a nice little entomology lesson thrown in. Did not know this. We have loads of damselflies and I have never seen an emergence once.
Fortunate indeed you are, sir. And that last shot is a killer! Definitely one for the portfolio, I’d say.
Look good on a wall inside a nice frame too!
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Thank you very much, Ark 🙂 I was so excited when I discovered this stage, as it is the first time I have ever seen it. I do count myself lucky, because I could have easily missed it!
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And half the fun of capturing such photographs is when you realise that not too many photographers have managed to get such shots.
Good one!
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Cheers, Ark. I really appreciate that 🙂
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Such an informative post, much appreciated. Your photos are excellent too!
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Thank you very much, Belinda 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Fabulous images. How lucky you were to catch the damselfly ‘hatching’. This is one of the advantages of having a home garden. You get to catch these amazing nature shots in regular walks and paying close attention to what’s down low.
Its something I so rarely see as my eyes are usually looking up in the trees in the hope of catching a bird shot.
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Thank you, Vicki 🙂 Sometimes it’s a case of being in the right place and at the right time, with some good luck added. But yes, a home garden certainly does have its advantages.
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Great pictures!
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Thank you 🙂
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Fascinating. I’ve never spotted the actual molt. Great photo diary.
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Thank you 🙂 This was my first molt, and I found it fascinating.
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I especially like the last photo…
…it looks like the little fella is coming out of my screen.
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Thank you, Rabirius 🙂
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I am always very impressed with the final transformation of the dragonflies or damselflies. The last picture is a great shot!
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Thank you, Greta 🙂 Nature is so amazing!
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Isn’t nature amazing? Wonderful photos.
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It sure is, Jill! Thank you 🙂
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The one in the first picture looks as if it is wearing a pair of white glasses.
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That struck me, too, Brian.
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