Transformer

Plenty to do at home today, but I decided to have an hour break out in the morning to stretch the legs.,

There is a pond near the visitor centre at Risley Moss. I stopped there to try and photograph the damselflies and dragonflies which might be about (examples in extras). Whilst doing that I noticed this “thing” clinging to the side of a green stem at the side of the pond. I thought it might be an old dragonfly larval case, and have done some research.

It is a dragonfly larva case. They can spend 2 to 3 years in the water voraciously feeding on tadpoles, small frogs and toads, small fish etc. Their transformation into a dragonfly takes typically 3 to 4 hours and involves seven stages.

Stage one - the larva climbs out of the water and firmly grasps a stem. It then adjusts from breathing in water to breathing in air.
Stage two - the skin on the thorax of the larva breaks and the body of the to-emerge adult is glimpsed.
Stage three - the adult emerges, a bendy body and little stumpy wings.
Stage four - the young adult faces down the stem, sitting on top of the firmly clamped larval case. The body straightens.
Stage five - the young adult swings around to face upwards.
Stage six - as the body warms and hardens the wings also expand, sitting parallel to the back.
Stage seven - the wings rotate 90 degrees to the typical resting dragonfly position. It will take a few days for full adult colouring to be gained.

What is left is the empty larval body case. It’s an amazing process.