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These black winged beauties with their shimmering blackish green bodies are quite a wonder to behold. As one of the more exciting insect specimens they carry on an amazing interaction from the beginning to the end of their lives. Of course, when you first observe the black winged damselflies you will need to remember that the most colorful of this species are the males. The females tend to have an all over brown affect but can be easily distinguished by a tiny white spot at the tip of their wings. Classified in the Agrionidae family of broad winged damselflies, this interesting insect is one of two extensive groups in the Odonata order. The other in this order is the dragonfly but the damselfly has a somewhat thinner body than the dragonfly and tends to rest with its wings held close to its body over its back when it is still. The best place to look for a black winged damselfly is in shaded areas of a slow moving stream. Watch along the sides until you feel confident that what you are seeing is definitely a black winged damselfly from the description given above.
In most cases, the first black winged damselfly you see will probably be a male. The males tend to spend much of their time in one small area throughout the day. This is the area he has chosen for his territory based on its suitability as an egg laying area for the female and the presence of a perch that will allow him to over look his territory. Once a territory has been chosen by a male black winged damselfly, he will defend it from others of the species and especially other males. They do this by adopting a defensive posture with its long thin abdomen raised while fully spreading the wings. If the intruder is a female, a somewhat different posture is adopted by the male. The abdomen is raised quite high with the back wing’s spread and the front wings tucked over the male’s body. If this does not attract the female, the male will then fly toward her with a great fluttering of wings. Eventually the two will mate, with the male immediately returning to his perch while the female lays her eggs. Occasionally a female will mate with a male that has not chosen a territory or has lost his territory to another male. When this occurs it is left to the female to find a place for her nest.
The nest is usually found among the plants just below the water’s surface or on other stationary debris to which the eggs will stick. After about seven days the eggs hatch and the nymphs immediately swim away to feed on tiny underwater animals and other insects. The nymphs of the black winged damselfly are long and slender with feathery like gills that are used to remove oxygen from the water. They remain in the water until reaching maturity and then hibernate under the water throughout the winter months. In the early spring of each year they will leave the water and become adults. Once this occurs they will spend vast amounts of time deep in the woods search for food. Adult black winged damselflies feed on other flying insects. Like most of their behavior, the feeding ritual is very interesting to observe. This insect will choose a place to perch that is directly facing a sunlit area. When another insect flies into the sunlight the black winged damselfly will quickly speed out and catch it in flight with its hairy legs. It then returns to its perch to feast on its prey.
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