Pest Status: Damselfly larvae live in water and are an important component in the food web.
Appearance: Damselflies have extremely large compound eyes that fill most of the head. They have two pairs of transparent membranous wings, a long, slender abdomen and jaws that extend underneath their heads.
Life Cycle: Females crawl down shoreline vegetation into the water to lay their eggs on the submerged portions of plants. Damselfly nymphs are predacious and must proceed through 10-12 instars before becoming fully developed. Thus, the life cycle of a damselfly can last one to two years.
Where to Collect: Damselflies are fast fliers, but can be collected by netting them as they fly near water or land on shoreline vegetation.