# Rearing dragon flies



## Morpheus uk (May 12, 2009)

Ive always wanted to rear a dragon fly larvae to adult as ive done with countless damsel flies but never had the opportunity, ive finally just found a monster of a nymph and after a close look at some photo`s it looks like its going to be moulting real soon, i just wondered is there any good signs and advise people can give me so i know what to do?

I mean i know they climb out onto a stem and moult but i just need to know when cause at the moment hes in a little mini petpal tank for know, and it`ll take me a while to set up a tank where he can moult safely.

Heres the pics, hes been nicknamed Dragunov after the sniper rifle


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## PhilinYuma (May 12, 2009)

Wow! A second post to remind me of my childhood!  Obviously, yr dragonfly larva is going to need larger food than the damsel fly larvae. We used to feed them on "tiddlers and tadpoles." I'm not sure what a "tiddler" is, just a tiny silver fish (minnow?) that we used to scoop out of a stream pool with a net. That was back in the Old Days, when forests still covered much of England and binomials hadn't yet been invented!


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## Rick (May 12, 2009)

Yep. Used to find those a lot in our pond.


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## jameslongo (May 12, 2009)

Nice work. See if you can't take a photo of its extendable mouthparts. It's like someone shoved a crab claw where it's mouth should be.  I know it's a lot to ask of you but it would be very cool.


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## Rob Byatt (May 13, 2009)

jameslongo said:


> Nice work. See if you can't take a photo of its extendable mouthparts. It's like someone shoved a crab claw where it's mouth should be.  I know it's a lot to ask of you but it would be very cool.


This is called the mask, the actual mouthparts are above it.

This one looks like _Aeshna_ by the shape of it's eyes.

I used to rear a lot of nymphs when I was 15-18, they are actually quite easy. The nymphs feed well on anything you put in the water, including small fish (natural prey item) and tadpoles. I used to use mainly bloodworms, freshwater shrimps and water woodlice.

They can be kept together as they keep out of each others way - they will poke another nymph with the spikes at the end of the abdomen if they get too close :lol: Canabilism only happens when smaller nymphs are kept with larger ones, though like-sized nymphs will canabilise if they see another moulting.

Wingbuds of subadults will become very swollen prior to emerging from the water, which is done early in the morning. They need cover and a twig to climb out on - they are very shy at this stage!!! Expect this to happen around June.


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## Orin (May 14, 2009)

Just take the lid off the critter keeper and put a stick in that leans out of the cage so it can emerge when ready to molt. Rearing dragonflies is pretty simple but getting adults to mate in captivity and lay eggs isn't. I checked this thread thinking there was some kind of new fly (house fly, fruit fly) somebody was rearing as a feeder, I felt a little silly when I realized it was just a space in the word dragonfly.


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## Borya (May 14, 2009)

I've wathched their final molt many times, mostly _Aeschna grandis_ and _A.cyanea_.

*Morpheus UK*, Aeschna larvae feel themselves much more comfortable when sitting on dark branches put into the water, about the same thickness as larvae is, with wich they can fit on using their elongated shape and brownish colouration.

Two or three days before final molt the nymph will stick her head and half of thorax out of water, bacause it starts to breath using tracheae and have spiracles on the top of first thoracical segment (these tarcheae will be seen during the molt like a pair of white bands).

For molting they climb at about 1-2 feet hight.


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## jameslongo (May 14, 2009)

Borya said:


> For molting they climb at about 1-2 feet hight.


You're gonna need a big container, Morpheus


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## superfreak (May 15, 2009)

WWWARGH!!! i have been trying to find larvae to rear but only found empty shells...  guess it was the wrong time of year..

this is very cool though! hope you get pics of the adult!


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## Borya (May 15, 2009)

Easier to place the container on window-sill and lean sticks to the screen. After climbing the stick nymph will pass some way on the net and stop about half of window height.

This method works good for *Aeschna grandis*, who can molt on vertical surface, but not for *A.cyanea*, which need to hang underneath something having their back turned downwards.


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