"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"BAC" wrote in response to

"Brian" who replied to

"Bob Hobden"
((X Posted))
Noticed on our new allotment that we have an enormous number of
Damselflies
flying about and resting on the plants. Some are Large Reds (easy ID)
but
a
high proportion of others are brown with clear wings. The nearest
water
is
the tiny River Bourne which runs alongside the site.
I understand Damselflies are carnivores so should I welcome them as
another
predator of aphids etc? I must admit that other than Flea Beetle
there
hasn't been much insect pest about other than something nasty which
attacked
me yesterday judging by the sore red lumps on ankle and elbow. :-(

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The imagines [adults] of these insects don't need to feed
in
the conventional way. They are only designed to look for egg laying
sites.
The nymph stage is a voraceous carnivore but only of what it can find
in
the
water. If handled they can bite! All similar to dragonflies.

Regardless of whether or not they need to eat in the conventional way,
adult
damselflies, like adult dragonflies are active predators of any insect
smaller than themselves. I've watched damsels and dragons hawking and
feeding many times.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/conker/pon...ragonflies.htm


Well I see then daily around my pond, the dragonflies seem to actively
hunt,
constantly flying and on the lookout, whereas the Damselflies seem to lay
in
wait on a plant and almost ambush their victims with a short flight.
Point is, do they take aphids off the plants or only when in flight?


Personally, I've never seen a damsel take an aphid off a plant, but that
doesn't mean they can't/won't. In fact, unless it were physically impossible
for them to do so, I'd be surprised if they did not.