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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Larvae and Exuviae
Photo#390338
Tiny aquatic insect
Copyright © 2010 Micki Killoran

Tiny aquatic insect
Pagosa Springs, Archuleta County, Colorado, USA
April 28, 2010
Size: ~3 mm
Very tiny. I almost missed it in the sample jar filled with wigglers, tumblers, planaria and ostracods. It looks like a larval form to me, but I'm not sure of what.
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Contributed by Micki Killoran on 29 April, 2010 - 7:36pm
Last updated 5 May, 2010 - 6:32am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… John F. Carr, 5 May, 2010 - 6:32am login or register to post comments

Dragonfly nymph
Definately a dragonfly - anisoptera. One of the Libellulidae, which genus I couldn't say.
… Steve Hummel, 4 May, 2010 - 11:40pm login or register to post comments

Looks like
a (very young) dragonfly naiad.



Maybe others will be able to tell you more.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 29 April, 2010 - 7:40pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks, Ken,
I was actually leaning toward tiny damselfly, but couldn't find any this tiny.
… Micki Killoran, 29 April, 2010 - 7:42pm login or register to post comments

 
No gills
Damselflies have prominent external gills, usually or always in the form of long tail filaments.
… John F. Carr, 29 April, 2010 - 8:18pm login or register to post comments

 
That's certainly a possibility...
...after all, they all have to start out fairly tiny. It just had more of a dragonfly look to me.

But I'm not an expert, so lets see what other folks have to say.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 29 April, 2010 - 7:46pm login or register to post comments

 
But I'm usually wrong,
And the damselfly naiads I'm finding look longer. I'll wait to see if anyone else is more certain before moving it to Anisoptera.
Here is one that looks very similar:
… Micki Killoran, 29 April, 2010 - 7:55pm login or register to post comments

 
Sympetrum and Libellula larvae look similar
I've only seen larger ones, but they have to start out small...they don't have external gills but they have mouthparts that can be extended forward - can you see those?
… margarethe brummermann, 29 April, 2010 - 8:43pm login or register to post comments

 
Sorry.
I can't even find the larva anymore. I suspect something else in the little jar-pond ate it, but it might just be hiding. If I find it again I'll try to observe the mouthparts. And if it ever stops snowing I'll go out and try to find another one!
… Micki Killoran, 29 April, 2010 - 9:27pm login or register to post comments

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