# Dragonfly an aquatic insect?



## dino (Jun 25, 2005)

Hello,

Just wondering is a Dragonfly an aquatic insect? I head it isn't, but the females lay her eggs in water. The nymphs hatch out of water and soon leave the water after a couple of days and start to fly with other bugs. So a Dragonfly is still considered a aquatic insect right? When I catch Dragonfly's they become lunch to my mantids  Sometimes I catch one's as big as your index finger :shock: But to make sure that the Dragonfly doen't harm my mantids I cut off the mouth parts. I heard that adults can inflect some pain  when bitten ( adults can only bite though. )


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## Peekaboo (Jun 25, 2005)

I'd advise against feeding dragon flies to your mantids. They're beneficial insects.

As larvae, they eat water fleas and mosquito larvae. Although the few you feed to mantids won't really effect the entire population as a whole ... it just seems wrong to kill an insect that's helpful.


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## dino (Jun 25, 2005)

Hello,

Well you do what you want Peekaboo. I have MANY dragonfly's around my house. Also I feed one to my p.w. and they are doing fine.


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## DMJ (Jun 25, 2005)

Well I agree with you Peekaboo but I guess everyone is for themselves.


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## Andrew (Jun 25, 2005)

It takes a dragonfly larva a few years before it completes its metamorphosis into a dragonfly. Not just a few days.

Thanks,

Andrew


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## PseudoDave (Jun 25, 2005)

True indeed, the nymphs of some of larger native species in the uk are quite willing to eat my fish fry! grrr, still, they're gorgeous when they emerge as adults and thus, they're tolerated


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## dino (Jun 25, 2005)

Hello,

Sorry for the error thanks Andrew. :lol:


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## dino (Jun 27, 2005)

I know that Dragonflys are benificial. I still feed them to my mantids the p.w. species they eat whatever that flys. But a Dragonfly is still considered a aquatic insect correct?


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## Jesse (Jun 27, 2005)

Pretty much anything that has aquatic larvae and/or adults are considered "aquatic insects"


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## dino (Jun 27, 2005)

Thanks Jesse.


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