Will this “ugly duckling” become a dragonfly or…?

Asker: Yolande, 13 years old

Answer

This is a dragonfly’s molt skin. The water-dwelling larva crawls out of the water when the time is right for the adult insect to emerge. In this case, it seems to me to be a representative of the family Libellulidae.

Answered by

Dr Jeroen Speybroeck

benthic fauna (benthos) of beaches and estuaries herpetology

Institute for Nature and Forest Research
Kliniekstraat 25 1070 Brussels
http://www.inbo.be

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