Thursday, June 12, 2008

Damselflies are effective predators of aphids on World Peace Wetland Prairie

Please click on image to ENLARGE photo of damselfly eating aphids off flowering plant at World Peace Wetland Prairie.

"Compared to their dragonfly cousins, damselflies are weak flyers. However, they are able to fly through fields hunting for their food - other insects. Damselfly nymphs (young damselflies) live in the water, but they like to climb up plants looking for other insects to eat. They particularly enjoy eating hopper nymphs from rice fields.
"The average size of a Damselfly is 3/4 to 1 3/4 inches long. They are predators who will eat nearly any other insect. Damselflies and their Nymphs eat lots of different kinds of insects from the ponds and streams where they grow up. They are extremely good at picking aphids off plants.
"Adult Damselflies are brightly colored (often bright blue) very slender creatures closely related to dragonflies. Damselflies have two pair of wings that taper at the base and, when at rest, the wings fold back over the body like butterfly wings. Damselflies flutter their wings rapidly when they are patrolling the area of the stream or river looking for prey."

http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/damselfly.html

Aphids eaten by Damselflies

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