Common Winter Damselfly

Sympecma fusca

The Common Winter Damselfly is a small, delicate insect that can be seen during the chilly months. They are often found resting on plants, showing off their beautiful wings.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Common Winter Damselfly has a slender, elongated body, typically bronze-brown with metallic green reflections. Its clear wings often remain spread at rest, a unique trait for most damselflies, and it can darken its colour in colder temperatures, making it look different from other damselflies.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLestidaeGenusSympecma

Common Winter Damselfly

Interesting facts

Spot its wings! They can shimmer like tiny stained glass windows in the sun!

Their eyes have thousands of tiny lenses, giving them a super wide view!

This damselfly is Europe's only one that survives winter as an adult!

This damselfly is a fantastic hunter, catching tiny insects mid-air with incredible speed!

Special abilities

Common Winter Damselfly can survive winter as an adult by lowering its metabolism, helping them live longer than most damselflies.

Common Winter Damselfly can darken its body colour, helping it absorb more sun and warm up faster in cool weather.

Common Winter Damselfly has unique wings because they rest slightly open, helping it soak up the sun's warmth on cool days.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 40-55 mm
Size: 30-45 mm
Lifespan: 200-270 days
Flight Speed: 7 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

This tiny hunter loves to eat other small insects.

Age differences: Larvae eat aquatic insects; adults hunt flying prey.

Primary Foods

midges
mosquitoes
small flies
aphids
gnats

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Midge

Chironomus plumosus

Adults snatch midges from the air.

hunts

Yellow Fever Mosquito

Aedes aegypti

Adults help control mosquito populations.

eaten by

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Frogs sometimes snap up resting damselflies.

eaten by

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Pike prey on damselfly larvae in water.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Hibernating

Hibernating animals enter a state of metabolic depression during cold periods or when food is scarce, characterized by reduced body temperature and activity.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.