Ever wonder what happens after a dragonfly lays her eggs, what goes on beneath the water, that time between egg positioning and adult emergence? This significant period of a dragonfly’s life cycle is also the longest, ranging from six weeks to seven years! Dragonflies are strongly tied to the wetlands and waterways in which their nymphs develop and have evolved. The physical and biotic characteristics of a given species aquatic niche often translate into structural modifications in nymphal form. We’ll begin this image intensive workshop with a brief introduction to the growth and development of dragonfly nymphs from egg hatching to adult eclosion. We will closely examine nymph structure, highlighting functional morphologies and relating them to habitat preference and species distribution.
Anatomy and Functional Morphology of Dragonfly Nymphs by Marla Garrison! coming next Sept 24th at 4pm EDT
