| These
rather delicate looking insects are actually voracious
hunters. The adults have two pairs of transparent wings
which move extremely rapidly and allow the insect to fly very
quickly, to hover and even fly backwards. Their prey is
mostly other flying insects which they catch on the wing.
The juvenile damselflies live in
freshwater pools and streams. They hunt with extendible
mouthparts that can shoot forwards very quickly to catch their
prey, which includes other water insects and even young tadpoles.
Damselflies differ from dragonflies
in a number of ways but most noticeably by being more slender and
by holding their wings together, over their backs, when resting.
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