Tuesday 26 January 2016

Blue tailed Damselfly Nymph

Its been a while since I had a tank session indoors with some nymphs so at the weekend I made a visit to Nethergong where I collected a few damselfly nymphs, mostly Blue tailed and Azure Damselfly I think. I had the tank already prepared at home and with some soaked leaves put in to add a bit more natural background colour, I spent an hour or so trying to capture a few shots. I still find the identification of these small nymphs a big challenge but with the help of some literature and the internet, I come to the conclusion that this individual is a Blue tailed Damselfly nymph but please correct me if I am wrong. A few features which led me to this conclusion is the lack of spotting behind the eyes. This is clear on Azure and Variable but lacking in Blue tailed Damselflies. Also there is a dark band on the femora of the legs and the caudal lamellae show a pointed tip and the setae (stiff hairs) reach half way up on one side and a third of the way up on the other. I have shown this in the last photo by the black circles. I managed to capture a few pleasing images and hope in the next few days to go back to Nethergong or my pond and see what else I can find to photograph and improve upon. 








Blue tailed Damselfly Nymph 

Blue tailed Damselfly Nymph Caudal Lamellae

13 comments:

  1. A nymph, they are really great images Marc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bob. Always a challenge to photograph but very rewarding when it kind of goes right.

      Delete
  2. Cool! I can hardly wait summer, bugs and moths.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Anne. Its February soon so it won't be long. Really looking forward to the season.

      Delete
  3. I'm amazed how you've captured the Nymph's detail which is sharp and clear,I don't think you can improve on these images.
    Perfection achieved.
    John.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks John. Thats the challenge I think and you've passed. Bringing these very much unseen nymphs to the forefront for others to appreciate.

      Delete
  4. Truly amazing images Marc. As you say, it won't be long now for the macro lenses to get some real outdoor use!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bob. Looking forward to the season and the challenges that await me, whatever they may be.

      Delete
  5. Such clarity in your images, Marc, with such a small creature. Is your tank constructed with special glass? The detail in the caudal lamellae is fabulous. Those eyes are amazing too!

    Summer is on its way, but not as quickly as we'd like it to be! Best wishes - - - Richard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks Richard. Its just a small glass tank that I bought from a garden centre / aquatic centre. Its perfect for what I want it for. I will take a photo of my setup and post soon so you get an idea of how I produce the photos.

      Delete
  6. Real hard to find out what species of nymph is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed Anne. Tricky but always a good challenge to try and work it out. Always learning.

      Delete
  7. Very interesting info about the nymph and I like the photographs. It sounds very difficult to i.d them.

    ReplyDelete