Dragonfly larva?

Keeshlorane · #1 (**permalink**) 19-05-2008, 07:20 PM

Hi I am new to this so please be gentle! Can you confirm that this is a dragonfly larva please? It appeared on a reed in my pond yesterday and was still there this morning but had gone by this afternoon...while I was at work!

My husband dug a new pond for me last year and we waited for rain to fill it......the frogs moved in within 6 hours of the first rain! This spring we had 28 frogs visible in the pond during one frenzied weekend of mating. We have newts and other smaller creatures which I cannot recognise, and I am finding it really interesting! My relatives cannot understand why I don't want fish but I seem to find enough to watch. I especially like watching the starlings bathing. They really go for it! Our pond still isn't fully landscaped but I love it and it's good to find there are so many other 'pondie' fans out there!
Thank you
(I hope the photo link works correctly!)

Ukwildlifeo · #2 (**permalink**) 19-05-2008, 09:54 PM

It whats left of one - the adult has emerged from its nymph skin leaving this behind - the proper name of it is an exuvia

Anyanka · #3 (**permalink**) 20-05-2008, 12:22 AM

Hi there; I often get the same reaction from friends - they keep offering me fish and are bemused by my refusal. I don't get as many frogs as you, but we have huge numbers of newts in our four-year-old pond. Plus dragonfly nymphs, water boatmen, pondskaters etc etc. I'd recommend getting a good identification book if you want to know what things are. My favourite is a little old 'Observer' book which I found in a charity shop. It has delightful little drawings of Daphnia and other water fleas. The British Wildlife Trust have a book on creating and maintaining a wildlife pond, which is also very useful - most other pond books focus on ornamental water features and fishkeeping.

Wild-Woman · #4 (**permalink**) 20-05-2008, 06:12 AM

It's a pity you missed the best bit really-the emergence. If you had time to sit for a couple of hours, usually early in the morning-or sometimes at night,and watch one of nature's miracles.
The whole process is humbling and if you ever capture the whole show in pictures, it's one to remember!
Now you have had at least one emergence, there could be others, so I'd keep a watchful eye.

Words · #5 (**permalink**) 21-05-2008, 07:34 AM

The first thing we did when we moved into our current home was get the fish in the pond re-homed (fortunately a neighbour was able to help out). So we now have a murky pond teeming with life. Frogs, toads, newts and many damselflies among other water insects. I can spend hours watching the water life.

Fourwings · #6 (**permalink**) 21-05-2008, 07:54 AM

Its definately a Dragonfly exuvia.
The interesting bit is trying to determine the species, the law of averages given the time of year and the fact that it is a relatively new pond says that it is most likely to be a Broad-bodied Chaser, but in this case the shape of the labium (mouth parts) and abdomen suggest that this is an Aeshnid species, perhaps Emperor Dragonfly.

A couple of questions may help to solve this,

1, Where in the UK do you live? you need not be specific if you do not wish to be, your county will be enough.
2, Roughly how large was the exuvia?
3, Have you bought in or introduced water plants to your pond?

Keeshlorane · #7 (**permalink**) 21-05-2008, 06:54 PM

Hi

Thanks for all these replies. I am learning all the time. I wasn't sure that it was a dragonfly (exuvia) at all because I believed they needed to be in the pond for more than a year and the pond has been in existance for just 11-12 months. (We did not want to use tap water and it took over a month to get enough rain water to fill it!!!) Clearly I was wrong so thanks for your help. I can see I have a perfect excuse now for sitting by the pond...I would love to see the emergence!

Fourwings...if this helps...I live on the south coast about a mile from the solent. The exuvia was about 6 or 7 cms long, and yes I did buy in plants and although I tried to be careful to rinse them off etc I am sure lots of things could have found there way in that way!

As I say I am only just beginning to get to know the pond wildlife and while I have had many many damsel flies of asorted colours I have only seen one dragon fly. That was an emperor dragonfly but it didn't hang around probably because it was on it's own! I did wonder whether the fact that the pond is quite closely bounded by a hawthorn hedge on the long side and a fence on the short side may be enough to put the bigger flying visitors off. Mind you it hasn't put the birds off!!!