What species is a damselfly?

What species is a damselfly?

Damselflies are insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies.

Is damselfly a dragonfly?

Dragonflies and damselflies are similar, both belonging to the Odonata subspecies of insects. More than 5,000 species of these insects exist, with dragonflies being more common than damselflies, according to Insect Identification.

Why is a damselfly called a damselfly?

Damselflies are close kin of the dragonflies we met previously in Bug of the Week. They belong to a group of ancient carnivorous flying insects in the suborder Zygoptera. The prefix zygo- comes from the Greek word meaning “yoke,” or “forming pairs”; the suffix –ptera means “wings”.

Do damselflies eat?

Adult damselflies eat mainly flying insects. Larvae eat insects in the water, worms, and occasionally small fish. Fish, turtles, frogs, and birds all like to eat damselflies.

What is another name for damselfly?

Odonata was until recently composed of three suborders: Anisoptera, commonly known as dragonflies; Zygoptera, commonly known as damselflies; and Anisozyoptera, as the name denotes, a morphological composite of the previous two suborders.

Do damselflies bite humans?

Damselflies are considered beneficial bugs because they eat other, more harmful, bugs. They are also one of the most beautiful insects that ever roamed Earth, and they have always been completely harmless to humans. They do not sting or bite.

What kind of animal is a damselfly larvae?

Immature damselflies, called larvae (or sometimes nymphs or naiads), are, with very few exceptions, aquatic predators in freshwater habitats such as ponds, streams, and even tree holes.

What kind of fossils are there of damselflies?

The Zygoptera are an ancient group, with fossils known from the lower Permian, at least 250 million years ago. All the fossils of that age are of adults, similar in structure to modern damselflies, so it is not known whether their larvae were aquatic at that time. The earliest larval odonate fossils are from the Mesozoic.

Which is an alternative name for a damselfly?

Alternative Titles: Zygoptera, snake doctor. Damselfly, (suborder Zygoptera), any of a group of predatory, aerial insects that are in the order Odonata.

How to identify damselflies in the narrow winged family?

Damselfly identification in the narrow-winged family starts by recognizing that the bulk of species fit into one of three genera: Press a button to learn more about some representative species in each of those narrow-winged damselfly genera. Before you go, here’s a quick overview of species from additional narrow-winged genera.