FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
In this article, we will learn about damselflies which is the name given to members of the suborder Zygoptera. These insects have existed in some relatively unchanged form since the Permian period (between about 298-251 million years ago). Dragonflies and damselflies are often confused with one another; damselflies even fly like dragonflies. But these two are different insects and this article will explain how they differ and how they are similar as well.
Going through the process of molting about 12 times, the damselflies live their life as larva (Nymph) and then transforming into their adult form. When in this form, the damselfly emerges from the water during daytime and spreads its wings to fly out of the water. These insects are so beautiful that their appearance has been used for inspiration for the purpose of designing personalized jewelry like brooches. These insects feed on small aquatic insects like mosquito larvae, small worms, water flea, etc.
Read until the end of this article to learn more damselfly facts for kids, adults, and all and if you find this insect intriguing, make sure to read these articles too on the morpho butterfly and honey bee.
Damselfly is a type of insect that resembles the look of a dragonfly, although they are not related.
The damselfly belongs to the class Insecta which comprises of all insects you can think of. Within this class, the damselflies are part of the order Odonata which has two other classifications. One category is Zygoptera which are the damselflies and the other is the Anisoptera which are the dragonflies.
The exact population of every species of damselflies is hard to estimate. What is known is that there are nearly 2,942 species of damselflies that are categorized within 309 genera.
Damselflies rely on freshwater sources. So they are spotted living near ponds, lakes, and even rivers. These freshwater locations where the damselfly lives are present in every continent except Antarctica.
Damselflies rely heavily on freshwater in each part of their life cycle. Generally, they lay their eggs in aquatic conditions, for example within parts of a water plant. Nymphs (which is the name for baby Damselflies) are essentially aquatic animals. They stay in this state for about two or three months after which they emerge out of the water. Their reliance on freshwater changes as they mature in their life cycle because the animals prey on mosquito larva, water spiders, small insects, and flying insects live in or around such a habitat.
As larvae, the species live in close proximity to other damselfly larvae. This species does not live very long, and as adults, damselflies live near prospective mating partners.
The average age of damselflies varies depending on the size of the species. Smaller damselflies have a shorter lifespan with only a couple of weeks as flying adults. Whereas, the larger ones can survive for up to 4 months as flying adults.
Damselfly reproduction is a fascinating subject to learn about. The male damselflies often partake in elaborate rituals to attract the female to its territory to mate. Once a female shows interest, the male adult damselfly, and female adult damselfly join together in a wheel position as they fly. After a process that requires a lot of coordination and choreography, the female lays the eggs on or inside water plants. As this happens the male fights off and protects the female from other males that have their own reproductive interests in mind.
According to International Union for Conservation of Nature, for most species of the damselflies, the conservation status is Least Concern. Conservation efforts for Odonata are often concentrated towards dragonflies, and damselflies on the other hand get a bit neglected. But, thankfully being like dragonflies, damselflies get positively impacted by whatever conservation efforts are made to protect dragonflies. Clearance of forests, pollution of water bodies, and the destruction of their natural freshwater habitats are a threat to these insects.
Damselflies are insects with varied colors depending on the family. Some damselflies have black wings while others have transparent ones. Their adult bodies may have colors like blue, red, yellow, black, and sometimes they can be seen in even brighter colors. Notably, male damselflies are brighter colored than their female counterparts. Damselflies are very delicate and have long and thin bodies. Their appearance and color may even vary depending on their environment and temperature. Damselflies have large gaps between their eyes that bulge out, which is paired with very short antennae. As they rest, adult damselflies hold their wings vertically as opposed to horizontally.
With no discernable facial features to fawn over, it is hard to call the damselflies cute.
Damselflies are not very communicative. One of the only ways you see them communicate is when the male uses its colorful wings to impress the female during mating season. Flying over the water at higher speed as a performance, the male tries to show off its prowess as a prospective mate.
Damselflies are surely bigger than house flies but generally aren't as big as their close relatives, the dragonfly. The wingspan of adult damselflies is within 0.71 in and 7.5 in. Their bodies on the other hand are about 0.75 in - 1.75 in long.
Damselflies as the name suggests are proficient flyers with their speeds having been recorded at about 5 ft per second as a result of their 16 wingbeats in the same time period.
Being insects, the damselfly, understandably, has very little weight that may range from 0.0011 oz to 0.0016 oz.
There are no unique names for the damselfly based on their sexes
Baby damselflies are called 'Nymphs'. Damselflies stay in the stage of nymphs for about two to three months.
A damselfly's diet is different for the two stages of their life that are as damselfly nymphs and as adults. As damselfly nymphs or larvae, the damselflies feed exclusively on aquatic insects. They eat aquatic insects like mosquito larvae, small worms, water flea, and other really tiny aquatic creatures. As adults, the diet of damselflies expands to flies, mosquitoes, moths, and some beetles.
Damselflies are harmless to humans and can in fact indirectly help humans by preying on harmful insects whose overpopulation may impact humans (mosquitos being one such insect).
With a very short lifespan and other factors including diet and habitat, it is challenging to keep the damselfly as a pet. It is best to look elsewhere for your next pet.
Some of the nicknames that the damselfly has are devil's darning needles, damsels, or bog dancers.
Damselflies have been living on this earth much longer than a lot of species. They have been here for about 300 million years.
There are over 2900 species of damselflies which give an absolute abundance of diversity in nature. Living near freshwater habitats too isn't a feature that is common to all damselflies. Some damselflies that belong to the family Caenagrionidae breed in the water that is a little salty as opposed to freshwater. Damselflies are not known to go too far from the freshwater habitats where they are born, but with so many species there are exceptions such as boreal bluets in British Columbia migrate often (only if they are male and large in size though). Damselflies size varies drastically from one species to another. The smallest ones belong to the genus Agriocnemis that live mainly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The largest damselflies are of the family of helicopter damselflies such as the Megaloprepus whose wings can span over 7.5 in. In color too, there is variance within damselflies, like the Lestidae sporting colorless wings while others, like Calopterygidae, flaunting colored ones.
Damselflies often get labeled as dragonflies, and while they are closely related certain features set them apart. When it comes to the fight, dragonfly vs damselfly, the fight is in favor of dragonflies which are known to prey on damselflies. The dragonflies and damselflies both belong to the order Odonata. Dragonflies and damselflies have the following four physical feature that distinguishes them:
Eyes: Dragonflies have eyes that are larger than those of damselflies.
Resting position: Dragonfly wings are horizontal as they rest while damselfly wings are vertical.
Body Shape: Dragonflies have bigger and bulkier bodies than damselflies' bodies.
Wing shape: Dragonfly hind wings are broader at the base while all four damselfly wings are the same size.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including the purple emperor butterfly and the stag beetle.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our dragonfly and butterfly coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.