What do nymphs eat

The adult dragonfly stage of its life is much shorter, sometimes only a few months or a year. Unlike many common garden insects, dragonflies are carnivores, meaning they feed on other creatures.

They feed on insects, fish, tadpoles, and other tiny creatures during the different stages of its life. As a nymph, it feeds on mosquito larvae, other aquatic insects, tadpoles, tiny fish, and other aquatic creatures.

Adult dragonflies feed on insects caught in the air. They eat mosquitoes, biting flies, mayflies, and other insects. Dragonflies serve as food for many different aquatic species and amphibians, birds, and even mammals. Blue dasher male Pachydiplax longipennis They are extremely agile and catch their prey midair.

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Contact or TTY Note the external gills at the end of its body. Different species of dragonfly larvae live in different water microhabitats. Some cling onto water plants floating on the water surface, some lay camouflaged among leaf litter at the bottom, while some of the rarer species in our forests even burrow into the sand beds of stream. No matter what type of water habitats they live the water must be clean and unpolluted.

They are amazing aquatic hunters Just like their parents, the larvae are fully carnivorous. They are fierce predators of any aquatic animals they can catch. Water insects like water beetles and mosquito larvae; worms; tadpoles; and even small fishes are part of their diet. Dragonfly larvae have a unique way of catching their prey. Imagine your lower jaw is flexible and extendable, and is equipped with fearsome hooks and sharp teeth.

When a prey swims past, this lower jaw will shoot out with lightning speed to capture and retrieve it for consumption. So in this way, dragonfly larvae can stalk and ambush prey efficiently. Thus dragonfly larvae are one of the top predators in an aquatic insect food-chain.

A dragonfly larva extends its lower jaw to capture prey. Growth habits Like other insects, dragonfly larvae grow by moulting, becoming bigger with each moult. Depending on the species, a larva goes through 10 to 12 rounds of moulting process. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.

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