Of what use are Damselfly’s Wing to people?
Damselfly’s Wing offers a unique perspective on Singapore’s incredible biodiversity. Dragonflies and damselflies, like all of nature’s creatures, play a vital role in the ecosystem. As predators, both as larvae and adults, they keep the populations of their prey in check. They thus help maintain the balance of nature.
Damselfly’s Wing allows one to see how dragonflies control the populations of disease-bearing insects like mosquitoes. Dragonflies depend on good quality freshwater to survive. Their presence is also an indicator of water quality. Being colourful and active, they now form a new type of visitor attraction in the parks.
Here at Damselfly’s Wing, you can learn more about the damselfly. Damselflies are from the suborder Zygoptera. They are more slender than their dragonfly relatives and have similarly shaped forewings and hindwings. At rest, the wings are held closed and above the abdomen. They are weak fliers. Their compound eyes are set distinctly apart.
One of the smallest damselflies in Singapore is the Variable Wisp. Their wings are only about 1 cm long. It can be difficult to identify them as their colour changes with age. Before maturity, males have a greenish thorax with an orange abdomen tip. This changes to a dark abdomen with a white thorax when mature. Females before maturity are bright red but will become dull olive when mature. They can be found along the water’s edge and just above the grass line in most of our parks.
Another species is the Common Bluetail. Males can be easily identified by their green thorax and blue abdomen tip. Females come in a variety of colours but the most common is a golden orange thorax. Sometimes, females can look similar to males too. They thrive in disturbed and open habitats. They can be seen in almost all the ponds in our parks and gardens. They range widely from Africa and Asia to the island of New Guinea.
The Ornate Coraltail is a common damselfly. It is easily identified by its bluish green thorax and dark abdomen with an orange tip. Females look similar to males. Any vegetated pond is suitable for this adaptable species. They are distributed across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Here at Damselfly’s Wing, observe the Blue Sprite. The males of this damselfly are sky blue with black bands on their thorax. Females are generally pale brown with thin streaks of blue on their thorax. This species is highly adaptable and common in our urban wetlands. They can be spotted perching on vegetation or twigs or flying just above the water’s surface.
Take a closer look at these beautiful creatures from Damselfly’s Wing. Their presence here indicates a healthy ecosystem. Their beauty enhances our parks and gardens. From Damselfly’s Wing, take a moment to appreciate these wonderful creatures.