We have a pond in the garden. It comes under my husband's jurisdiction, but nothing beats sitting beside it watching the critters come and go.
While I am lamenting the lack of butterflies this year, other insects seem to be in plentiful supply.
We have seen many Common Blue Damselflies or Enallagma cyathigerum this year. Spending most of its young larval stage of life in, on and around plants, it hatches to become a delicate and frequent visitor to fresh water.
The life cycle of Damsel and Dragonflies is simpler than most insects. From an egg, one of many, laid just below the water surface, the egg hatches into the larval phase, a nymph called a naiad which will spend considerable time, up to two years in the water consuming small aquatic life before climbing out onto a pond plant, shedding its last outer skin to become an adult damselfly. The adult damselfly must then seek out a mate to start the cycle over again. There is no pupal stage with this insect.
The dragonfly life cycle is the same, but the adult insects — although very similar — are different. If you look at the pictures you can just see the body of the dragonfly is fatter. Damselflies have very slender bodies. While both have gossamer like wings, the big difference can be noticed in how the insects alight. Dragonflies alight with their wings open whereas damselflies tuck their wings in beside their bodies.
My husband came in a few mornings ago having noticed the perfect last larval casting of a damselfly still hanging on to a plant in the pond. In the larval phase while under water the nymphs shed their outer skin several times as they grow, but the last shed takes place out of water. If you look carefully you can see the hole from which the adult emerged.
A garden is a wonderful place to observe the constant activity of the bug world and even better with water around. Just a dish of water will bring in all manner of insects to keep you entertained.
Zonethreegardenlife.blog
