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Zygoptera

Common name:

Damselflies

Distribution:

Every continent except Antarctica

Habitat:

Freshwater habitats such as acidic bogs, ponds, lakes, and rivers

Diet:

Small crustacean, water fleas (nymph); flying insects (adult)

Number of species globally

2,942

Number of species in Hong Kong :

42

Morphology
(how to recognize them) :

-Smaller slimmer bodies than dragonflies
-Compound eyes widely separated
-Similar forewings and hindwings
-Wings folded close to the body when resting

Diagram

Did you know ?

They are sexually dimorphic, so males are often more brightly colored. Nymphs moult repeatedly and during their last molt, they climb out of the water to undergo metamorphosis: their skin splits down their back, wings emerge and their abdomen is inflated to reach their adult form.

Gallery

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