Dragonfly Larvae

[Tanukimo]

I took this picture of a dragonfly larva in my utric tub today. There are at least two in there, and this one is the smaller one of the two. I believe they have been in there since last fall, and are over an inch long.

 

[Acro]

Beautiful animal...what are they eating?

 

[Tanukimo]

I believe they eat bloodworms and other invertebrates in the water. I know that there were mosquito larvae in the water before but I don't see them anymore so maybe they were eaten. To be honest, I haven't seen them eat anything before and I'm surprised that there is anything in the water that is big enough for them to eat. They rarely move in the water when I look at them but don't try to hide either. I will try to take some more pictures when I see them again.

 

[SubRosa]

I believe they eat bloodworms and other invertebrates in the water. I know that there were mosquito larvae in the water before but I don't see them anymore so maybe they were eaten. To be honest, I haven't seen them eat anything before and I'm surprised that there is anything in the water that is big enough for them to eat. They rarely move in the water when I look at them but don't try to hide either. I will try to take some more pictures when I see them again.

One of the most amazing animals on the planet! But watch your fingers. Their bite will certainly get your attention, and on the off chance you intend to keep fish they will readily take fish much larger than you might think they can.

 

[Tanukimo]

Well since this is related I thought I would post here rather than make a new thread. A damselfly larva in a tub of aquatic Utricularia molted yesterday and I found it near the windowsill at noon. I took it outside and was able to snap one picture of it before it flew away. It is interesting how the pupils seem to follow you when you move.

Here is a picture of the skin:

Pretty sure the larva came with some Utricularia I bought, since I saw it moving around on the bottom of the container a few weeks ago.

 

[Tanukimo]

Went out at night and saw the dragonfly larvae at the surface. I wonder why they do that. I saw a total of four, which surprised me because I had added a few from another container that broke but I thought the larger larvae had eaten them.

 

[Acro]

What is that plant on the left that looks like a tiny green maple leaf?

 

[Tanukimo]

It is Hydrocotyle tripartita.

 

[Radagast]

It is so interesting when dragonfly larvae turn up in aquatic plants. Dragonflies are able to lay their eggs endophytically (a.k.a. lay their eggs directly inside of plant material). When I used to have a planted tank, the aquarium store I purchased from kept many of their aquatic plants outdoors in the summer to grow under natural sunshine; so every now and then I would have a dragonfly larvae turn up seemingly out of nowhere and raise it to adulthood haha. They survive off of little organisms in the water. At one point I had a tank filled with snails of all sizes so I would periodically drop a few tiny ones for them to feast on.

 

[TongueFlicker]

Love damselflies. They're more colorful, fly slower and thus more elegantly. But dragonfly larvae are a gem on their own underwater