30 Days. 30 Bugs. Teaching kids all the YIKES of the Red Damselfly…

During June, I will be offering some pretty interesting bugs to you and your kids… bugs that will excite and entertain kids while teaching them.  Each and every little word or fun piece of information is a building block to love of learning and literacy.

Come along for the YIKES!  It’s gonna be a buggah!

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.

One lovely bit of lore about the Damselfly: Their bright, beautiful colors take time to develop, reflecting the idea that each of us develops our own colors, our own beauty as we mature. How lovely is this?

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

A little “damselfly” tidbit: 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.

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Join me here each day in June for 30 days. 30 Bugs. – a little fun, a little learning and a lotta YIKES!