Damselfly nymphs

Zygoptera · Aquatic life

Whole animal · Photo: Jimmy Dee / CC BY-SA

NativeAquatic insect

Also called Damselfly larvae, Naiads

How to identify Damselfly nymphs

Slender body about 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches
Three flat, leaflike gills at the tail end
Long thin legs; often green, tan or brown to match plants
Swim with a side to side wiggle

Similar species

Mayfly nymphs also have tails but carry gills along the sides of the abdomen and have only one claw per leg. Dragonfly nymphs are stockier with no tail gills.

Profile

Season	Present all year; adults fly from late spring through early fall.
Starts	Adults emerge as water warms to about 60 F
Depth	In plant beds near shore, usually under 6 feet
How it spreads or reproduces	Adults fly and insert eggs into plant stems
Habitat	Submerged and emergent plants along pond and lake edges, slow canals and marshes.

Why it matters in a lake

Important food for trout and bass and predators of mosquito larvae. Their presence usually means there are healthy plant beds; they decline where all plants are removed.