Скачать или смотреть Foldscopy of Damselfly nymph

Chilika Lagoon supports dense growth of submerged and emergent aquatic plant (macrophyte). These aquatic plants are also sheltering niches to a variety of flies and insects that feeds and rests on these macrophytes. During sampling from Northern part of the Chilika, where luxurious growth of freshwater aquatic weeds such as Eichhornia, Potamogeton and Vallisneria is dominant, water samples were collected on 29/11/2018.  We captured a young damselfly nymph, zygopteran insect of the order odonata which also includes the dragonflies. Live specimen was analyzed through foldscopy. Note the coloured patterns on its slender body with the two eyes distinctly separate from each other. This aquatic insect develops through 10 – 12 immature stages (instars) before emerging out of the water as an adult winged insect. The nymph mostly resides in the calm waters of ponds or lakes, sometimes among vegetation where it feeds on water fleas (cladocerans), water mites, small insect larvae, etc. In return it is eaten by large insect larvae, newts, birds, etc.