# Dragonfly larva ? Is it a good bug or bad one ?



## Takechanmanus (Oct 9, 2005)

I found a funny creature in my tank. It looks like a dragonfly larva (I am not sure what it calls in English . . ). It's about less than 1 inch. I have no idea where it comes from . . . Well, i tried to catch it, but i missed . .  

If this creature is a dragonfly larva, is it good for my planted tank ? I have lots of plants with small fish like, Harlequin Rasboras, Sidthimunki Botia Loaches, Dwarf Cory cats, shrimp . . about the same size as this bug. I am hoping this bug doesn't touch them, but eats small snails . . . . :tongue: 

Does someone know anything about dragonfly larva ??

Tak


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

Bad bug.

The nymph could eat some of your smaller fish.

Mike


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

its a preditor and will eat small fish.. id remove it if you want to keep your fish safe...

fish newb


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

It'll eat the shrimp first. Get it out of the tank.


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## Takechanmanus (Oct 9, 2005)

thank you for your info.

OK, I am going to be a bug hunter  . . . means . . . I have to mess around my plants . . . I am looking for the bug, but i don't know where it is hiding . . . 

Tak


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Takechanmanus said:


> thank you for your info.
> 
> OK, I am going to be a bug hunter  . . . means . . . I have to mess around my plants . . . I am looking for the bug, but i don't know where it is hiding . . .
> 
> Tak


good luck! from what i can remember they are ambush preditors so its probably pretending to be part of one of your plants! lol

pic of it would be neat to see! how you think it got in there?

fish newb


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## Kaylee Skylyn (Oct 17, 2005)

For me they are great bugs. I love dragonflies!

But yes...in fish/shrimp aquariums they are bad news....

If I found one in my tank mid winter I think I would set up a 2g for him and keep it alive....I would love to see what kind they turned out to be.


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

Ever seen them on dragonfly nimph in discovery channel? God they are ferocious. Just look at the lower jaw that hinges like Predator in AVP. I've seen one in TV that eats a fish with no problem at all. Just wham and the poor tiny fish is lunch.


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## Kaylee Skylyn (Oct 17, 2005)

Where do you think they got the idea for the movies??
Nothing is more bizare than nature.


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## awohld (Dec 18, 2005)

If you have mosquitoes in your hose it'll eat them when it grows up. I read the eat hundreds of mosquitoes a night.


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## aquaphish (Dec 20, 2002)

Reading the several posts about dragonflies, caddis flies and other aquatic flies and larva, I am thinking of dipping my plants I purchase in something that will kill off the little demons!!! What can be used for this?


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## shuks (Jul 10, 2005)

1 part bleach to every 30 parts water is what I like to use. Dip a couple times for about 2-3 seconds. Then rinse the plants really well with water.


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

They can only eat fry. They couldn't eat a full grown Tetra. They have shown up in my tanks from time to time, but have never lived for more than a day or two. Their bodies do not decompose. They last foreever. Really creepy looking. What I am getting more of are what I think are called damsel flys? They look like a dragon fly but their body is much smaller, like a needle. Their larva is more snake like with a bug head. They are actually growing to adult hood in my aquariums! Every day I shoo them out the door. I have no idea what they are finding to eat. Most of my aquariums have no fish. The one tank that does, has two hungry catfish that probably eat the larva if they get in that tank.


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## Takechanmanus (Oct 9, 2005)

OK, I captured it, and it is in a small pot (2-3 gal pot) right now :biggrin: . I can keep it in there . . but I don't know what to feed . . 

I took a couple pictures (not so clear). Hope this posting works.




















Tak


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## littlecobra1977 (Dec 6, 2005)

Hey Takechanmanus, sorry but thats not a dragon fly larvae. Dragon fly larvae look just like a full grow draon fly with out the wings. I have had quite a few dragon flies come in on my plants from my pond and such. Heres a couple pics of dragon fly larvae.
http://www.gardensafari.net/pics/libellen/aeshna_sp_ha1_5881.jpg

http://www.gardensafari.net/pics/libellen/aeshna_sp_ha1_5884.jpg

Im not sure that bug is that you have but none the less its better out of the tank than in it.
Shane


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## Kaylee Skylyn (Oct 17, 2005)

Yep, that is a dragonfly larva. 
Hes quite young from the looks. It is one of the Skimmer species. (the links littlecobra posted are Darner species. Much larger dragonflies.) 

Heres some examples of shaps the diferent species larva can be: http://www.uta.edu/biology/robinson/draglarv.gif 
I have photos of some larva but don't have them on my site yet....

If you have a nice pond that is not frozen yet you can release him there and he will hopefully survive. If you want to keep him indoors for the winter you can feed him anything that moves. Daphnia(waterfleas), rinced brine shrimp any other pond bugs, guppy babies....  He probly will not eat dead/frozen food as they instinctivly go for moving things.

Post pictures if you get him to emerge into an adult! (I'll be able to tell you what species he is then too).

Kaylee


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## cbennett (Oct 20, 2005)

Here's the one I had in my tank about a year ago, gave me the serious willies! :eek5:


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## littlecobra1977 (Dec 6, 2005)

Heres one that emerged out of my 90 gallon inside pond.
pic of pond
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/littlecobra1977/planted tanks/000_0276.jpg

and the emerged dragon fly
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/littlecobra1977/000_0353.jpg

Not sure what species is but I had to put him in a container with a lid and put it in the freezer to dispose of him. I hated to but its to cold to let him go outside.
Shane


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## Ðank (Dec 29, 2005)

*littlecobra*: I think that is a damselfly, not a true dragonfly. We have them here in Florida in more colors/patterns than you can imagine. I think true dragonflies are unable to close or touch their wings together. 

That is a dragonfly/damselfly larvae though. You can find plenty of pictures to argue either case, but more importantly, it may catch fish and shrimps out of your tank. I used to collect them for a pair of oscars I had, they couldn't get enough of them. Nice work netting him, not an easy task..


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## littlecobra1977 (Dec 6, 2005)

Ok you learn some thing new every day. I always called them dragon flies. And I guess I thought May flies were damsel flies. Well now I know. Thank you for the correction.
Shane


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## Ðank (Dec 29, 2005)

littlecobra1977 said:


> Ok you learn some thing new every day. I always called them dragon flies.



I'm pretty sure that they both are _technically_ dragonflies. Calling them damselflies is just a little more accurate. *pushes nerd-glasses back up nose*

I think they are subordered in the same fashion as monkeys and spiders, for example.


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## Robert H (Apr 3, 2003)

Damsel fly larva look totally different from dragon flies. Their body is more worm like with a tail fin, and they are fast swimmers. 

Another interesting bug... looks like a daddy long legs with wings. Anyone know the name of this bug?


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## Ðank (Dec 29, 2005)

Robert H said:


> Damsel fly larva look totally different from dragon flies. Their body is more worm like with a tail fin, and they are fast swimmers.
> 
> Another interesting bug... looks like a daddy long legs with wings. Anyone know the name of this bug?



I quick guess would be a Crane Fly, AKA Mosquito Hawk. It's legs look just like a daddy long legs, the body much larger/longer though. 









There are MANY types of these flies, they can vary greatly from region to region. Some have much smaller/thinner bodies. Without a picture, this is my best guess..


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## Kaylee Skylyn (Oct 17, 2005)

Oy, confusion abounds.

They are technicly called Odonada: That covers both DRAGONfly and DAMSELfly.

Dank was right about the suborder thing (but odonada is the proper describer that covers both):
Dragonflies are suborder Anisoptera.
Damselsflies are suborder Zygoptera.

Basic Dragonfly Larva shapes: http://www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/dragfly.gif
Larva and adult shapes: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/dragon1.gif
Adult photo example: http://www.silentecho.org/fauna/BeaverpondBaskettail-TetrgoneuriaCanis-04May19-2FRAMED.jpg

Basic Damselfly Larva Shapes: http://www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/damfly.gif
Larva and Adult shapes: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/compendium/damsel1.gif
Adult photo example: http://www.silentecho.org/fauna/VariableDancer-ArgiaFumipennis-04Jul09-4FRAMED.jpg

cbennetts photo is a damselfly larva.

littlecobras is a damselfly but due to the blur I can't say for sure which species. 

No need to kill them once they have emerged. They are of no threat to your fish and are actualy a benifit as damsels are EXTREEMLY good mosquito eaters. I watched one for 2 or 3 muninits, grab and eat a mosquito every 20 or 30 SECONDS. (then the mosquitos started eating me to badly so I had to move). Dragonflies will eat mosquitos too but really prefer bigger prey. Thers nothing more satisfying than seeing one grab the blackfly thats been buzzing around your head!

Danks photo is indeed a 'Crane fly' but it is NOT an Odonada. Craneflys are among the Nematocera, very diferent from dragons and damsels, except that they to have aquatic larva. 

Kayllee ~ Your slighly excentric neighborhood naturalist ~


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## cbennett (Oct 20, 2005)

Kewl! Thanks for the info!


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## hl0107 (Oct 20, 2004)

Those things are serious. All my endlers disappeared from my outside tub and the only thing I can found was one of those bugs in the tub and some cherry shrimps. The other tubs are fine because they got bigger fishes but the endlers couldn’t stand a chance. 

Hector.


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