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Dragonflies and Damselflieswhat is this?
Hi – We love your site.
Hopefully you can help us. We live in Mid Michigan (Lansing) and my son (age 6) found this exoskeleton on a walk today. I don’t even know where to begin to find out what it is. (Well, I do, because I’m sending you an email.)
Thanks,
Lysne (and Liam)
Hi Lysne and Liam,
I’m guessing you found this exoskeleton near a pond or other body of water. It is the final molted skin of a dragonfly. The larvae, known as nymphs, are aquatic and predatory. They have an amazing detachable jaw that emerges as the nymph attacks prey, small aquatic insects, tadpoles and even fish. The nymph eventually crawls out of the water, molts and flies away as an adult dragonfly. Isn’t metamorphosis amazing?
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