| Sparsholt Schools' Centre for Environmental Education | ||||
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Pond Animal Information |
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Dragonfly nymph Scientific Name: Odonata (Anisoptera) Group: Insecta Size: 10 - 30 mm The body of the biggest adult dragonflies can reach 8cm in length. The nymphs breathe through gills which are in their abdomen. If you look carefully, you will see the abdomen moving in and out as they draw water through their body. |
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Food chain Position in food chain: secondary consumer (carnivore) They eat: other insects and larger animals such as tadpoles, small fish They are eaten by: larger animals such large fish |
 The dragonfly nymph is able to 'grab' passing prey using its extending jaw (mask). |
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Life cycle On hatching, the nymph escapes through the open end. The nymph goes through several moults before it finally becomes an adult. The nymph will climb a plant stem before moulting for the final time. Once the wings have dried, the adult will fly away. Did you know ... Most nymphs take a year to develop into an adult, but some species can take 2-5 years. The adults live for just a couple of months.
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