Damselfly Adult Next to its Naiad Shell

Here are a couple of pictures of a newly hatched damselfly adult which had just emerged from its naiad skin. This picture was taken at Tasajarra, CA in July of 2007. In the first picture the shed naiad skin is visible next to the adult, which was still very vulnerable at this stage.

During the next few hours, its exoskeleton would have hardened, its wings would have expanded to their full size, and its body would have slowly taken on the bright colors of its fully developed adult form. After a brief pause to test its wings, it would have flown off into a new life, completely different from the underwater world it had known for up to three years before.