The Green Darner or Common Green Darner, after its resemblance to a darning-needle, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. One of the most common and abundant species throughout North America and it ranges south to Panama. It is well known for its great migration distance from the northern United States south into Texas and Mexico.
Similar species: Dragonflies And Damselflies
By Christine Young
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Uploaded Oct 13, 2020. Captured May 17, 2020 01:31 in 281 Main St S, Woodbury, CT 06798, USA.
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It may not look like it, but this is a dragonfly nymph (larva)! Adult dragonflies are vibrant and are easily appreciated for their beauty, but few people value (or even know about) their nymphs. This is ironic since dragonflies spend most of their lives in the nymphal stage (up to 5 years!) while adults may live as little as a few days!
Dragonfly nymphs are aquatic and live in a variety of freshwater microhabitats in ponds and streams where they may cling to vegetation, stay camouflaged among debris, or burrow into the substrate. The major prerequisite is that the water is unpolluted, which makes them a valuable bioindicator of a healthy ecosystem.
Nymphs are fearsome, lie-in-wait predators with voracious appetites. They have a secret weapon that makes them awesome hunters: extendable jaws that are armed with hooks and sharp teeth. When prey (small fish, worms, tadpoles, beetles, mosquito larvae, etc.) swim past, a dragonfly nymph shoots out its jaw to capture it with remarkable speed and efficiency. In turn, dragonfly nymphs are also an important food source for fish and other insectivores.
When a nymph is ready to emerge as an adult dragonfly, it slowly climbs out of the water, giving its respiratory system time to adapt to breathing air. Then, it anchors itself to some emergent vegetation and molts into its adult form, leaving behind its nymphal skin, called an exuvia. After a period of rest in which it gulps air and pumps blood (hemolymph) through its body, it is finally ready to fly off and begin its life as an adult! {Darner dragonfly nymph (Aeshnidae) spotted in Connecticut, USA by JungleDragon moderator, Christine Young} #JungleDragon #Dragonflynymph #Aeshnidae
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