the.com/damselfly
A dragonfly's slimmer cousin that folds its wings like it's keeping secrets.
means A slender flying insect related to the dragonfly, distinguished by its delicate body and wings that fold together over its back at rest.
from The 'fly' is just the old catch-all for a winged insect. The 'damsel' comes from Old French 'damoisele,' a young noblewoman — itself from Latin 'domina,' lady — so the name casts this dainty, fragile-looking creature as a kind of maiden of the air, the genteel counterpart to the brawnier dragon.
- wing tell
- Holds wings closed at rest, unlike dragonflies
- ancient lineage
- Relatives flew 300 million years ago
- eyes apart
- Bulging eyes sit on opposite sides of head
- aquatic youth
- Nymphs hunt underwater for up to a year
- mating heart
- Pairs link bodies into a perfect heart shape
ebony jewelwing — north american damselfly species with iridescent dark wings, common along streams
red damselfly — european species (pyrrhosoma nymphula) found throughout uk and continental europe
giant petaltail — australian damselfly (petalura ingentissima) among largest damselflies, up to 10cm long