Damselflies , scientifically called zygoptera , are a suborder of insects of the order Odonata . These spectacularly colored, flying insects are often mistaken for dragonflies, a close relative in this order. But even though they are very similar, they are two different groups of insects that we can differentiate with the naked eye without being expert entomologists.
We are going to see some of the most outstanding curiosities of the damselflies.
Although we can differentiate them by their behavior – damselflies are less active and stay close to bodies of water – the most striking difference between these two groups of Odonata is in the placement of the wings at rest. The damselflies close their wings and place them vertically when they are resting from flight, while dragonflies keep them open, horizontal, when they are not flying. However, you have to be careful with a family of zygoptera , called Lestidae, which even being a damselfly perches with open wings.
When in doubt, another visual difference that allows differentiating these two groups of odonates is the distance between the eyes. These are so large in dragonflies that they do not allow distance between them, but in damselflies they are smaller, which causes them to be placed on both sides of the head.
The zygoptera are not as active because they do not have as developed a musculature as dragonflies. This causes them to choose to hunt static prey, while dragonflies tend to hunt prey in flight. Damselflies fulfill a predatory function from the larval stage, when they feed on other larvae of flies, mosquitoes and other small insects, although some species found in the tropics, with greater size, can feed on spiders.
At the end of the elongated and straight abdomen typical of damselflies , males may have distinctive characteristics, such as celestial segments at the ends. Even so, the genera of zygoptera tend to be differentiated by a more striking coloration in males than in females. These reproduce forming the so-called “copula wheel” , due to the position taken by both insects, simulating a circle. After reproducing, the female makes sure to spawn in places with nearby bodies of water so that larvae and nymphs (the intermediate stage between larvae and adults) can develop in aquatic environments.
However, the Ischnura hastata does not play by the same breeding rules as its close relatives; It has been shown that this species of damselfly is capable of reproducing by parthenogenesis, that is, the production of females that are genetically identical to their progenitor without the necessary fertilization by a male.
Seahorses of the devil are one of those flying insects that everyone recognizes, though often confused with dragonflies. The feeding of these zygoptera allows the control of pests that are harmful to humans, such as mosquitoes, but the alteration of water masses as well as the modification of the plant structure where this animal develops puts this species in danger. Although their bite can hurt if they are handled badly, these animals are totally harmless and provide serious benefits to the environment. We have to take care of them.
