Damselfly
Slender, brightly coloured relatives of dragonflies that fold their wings when resting. Predators of small flies and gnats, with aquatic larvae that live in garden ponds.
Why you want them
Damselflies are smaller and more delicate than dragonflies but equally valuable. They hunt small flies, aphids, and gnats at lower heights among vegetation, reaching prey that dragonflies miss. Their aquatic larvae are an important part of pond food webs. They are often more easily established in small garden ponds than dragonflies and respond quickly to the creation of new water habitat.
Helps control
How to attract them
- Garden pond
- Aquatic marginal plants
- Water mint
- Brooklime
- Yellow flag iris
Preferred habitat
Near still or slow-moving water. Adults hunt in vegetation and along hedgerow margins close to water. Unlike dragonflies, they often remain close to the pond throughout their adult life.
What harms them
Loss of ponds, chemical run-off, removal of marginal aquatic plants, and fish-stocked ponds that eat the larvae.
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.