Damselfly Naiad

Subject: I have never seen one of these
Location: Virginia, USA.
April 26, 2016 7:07 am
Found near a creek in Virginia . Halifax county area. It is a couple of inches long. Has a stinger looking apparatus on its tail.
Signature: Matt

Damselfly Naiad

Dear Matt,
This aquatic nymph is an immature Damselfly, commonly called a Naiad like other aquatic nymphs of flying insects.  Damselflies are classified with Dragonflies in the same insect order, Odonata.  What you have mistaken for a stinger is actually a tripart organ, the gills, used to extract oxygen from the water.

Damselfly Naiad

Damselfly Naiad

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Location: Halifax, Virginia