Bluets and Ebony Jewelwing Damselflies

Bluets and Damselflies are small invertebrates belonging to the group Odonata. Along with their cousins, dragonflies, they are members of the oldest insect species–dating back to over 200 million years. Spending most of their lives as larva, or nymphs, they live in ponds and lakes searching out other small insect larva and even small fish; fierce hunters of the pond water. There they will molt as many as fifteen times until they emerge and molt one last time into an adult with wings, spending much of their time afterward grooming and hunting from suspended vegetation along wooded creek bottoms and lake shorelines. Chasing down and feeding mainly on other smaller insects, as shown here eating mosquitoes, they are ruthless hunters. Also indicators of a good eco-system, they will often approach near or land on your shoulder, appearing quite friendly—unless, of course, you are one of their hapless victims.

Music: “Thingamajig” by Jason Shaw

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