Let’s have a little fun, a little learning and a little YIKES! today with the RED DAMSELFLY:

Actually, there are two species of the Red Damselfly… the Small Red and the Large Red and both are found in Wales, southern Britain and Ireland.

There are distinct differences that make the two identifiable, the most obvious difference being size.  The Small Red Damselfly is about 2/3 the size of a Large Red Damselfly.

Another difference is color of the legs.  The Small Red Damselfly has pale orange/red legs, while the Large Red Damselfly has black legs.

The Small Red Damselfly flies very low and very weakly, mostly in warm, calm conditions, and does not stray far from its breeding waters of bogs, streams and marshlands.  The Large Red Damselfly takes takes short flights, too, but can be found in a wider range of habitats, mostly freshwater, but rarely around fast-flowing rivers or streams.

There is often confusion about the Damselfly and the Dragonfly.  In fact, the eyes, body, wings, and resting positions of the two species are very different.

The long, thin body of the Damselfly as it darts here and there has been compared to the stitching of a needle as it passes through cloth.  Nicknames such as the Granny’s Needle and the Devil’s Darning Needle (YIKES!) have been given to the Damselfly.

Share the Red Damselfly with your kids and grandkids.  You may wish to research the Dragonfly and compare it with the Damselfly… you know, the different eyes, body, wings and resting positions!

And you know how we discussed the Oregon Swallowtail Butterfly this past Wednesday, discovering that it’s the Oregon State Insect?  Well, in May 2009, Nevada’s Governor Jim Gibbons made a lot of fourth-graders happy when he signed into law a bill making the Vivid Dancer Damselfly Nevada’s Official State Insect.

How cool is this to share with your kids about kids, bugs and government!

Join me each day in June for JUNE BUGS on 365 Days of Literacy for Kids! – a little fun, a little learning and a little YIKES!