Damselfly
| Damselflies | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Male Common Bluetail damselfly | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Zygoptera Selys, 1854 |
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but in a separate suborder, the Zygoptera. There are 20 families of damselfly.
The wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest. There are also damselfly families in which the wings are held open, as in the true dragonflies (Anisoptera).
Damselflies are also usually smaller, weaker fliers than dragonflies, and their eyes are well separated, by more than their own diameter. Another distinction is that their forewings and hindwings look similar; this is not the case in the true dragonflies.
Like dragonflies, damselflies cannot walk, but only land. Their life cycle is also similar. They have incomplete metamorphosis, with an aquatic nymph which is carnivorous.
