Skip to main content

Dragonfly nymph molted exoskeleton

Photo by joan6153
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

26.3587, -80.0831

Field Notes

Description:

Light colored insect on a wooden post. It did not move even though I was nearby. There is a second one just below it on the post.

Habitat:

On a dock post along an inland fresh water canal in western Boca Raton, FL.

Species ID Suggestions

Gomphus Dragonfly (nymph)

Gomphidae

Comments (6)

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. I went to investigate today and found both insects gone. Perhaps they washed away in the rain though the older one withstood numerous downpours since first seen. There was not any trace of them. The insect in the photo was about 1.5 inches long and .5-.75 inches wide (not counting the legs). Would a dragonfly nymph be that big? Also, I have never seen a Gomphus dragonfly here - just four-spotted pennants, Blue Dashers, Eastern Pondhawks and Eastern amberwings and Rambur's forktail damselflies. Of course it would not be surprising if I just missed them.
Looks like a molted Gomphus dragonfly.
That is a molted exoskeleton of a dragonfly nymph (probably) , but certainly not a cicada.
I could not tell if it was alive. It did not move when I approached but I did not try to touch it. It was not there yesterday. There is another similar one attached just below it on the post and it has been there over a week and does not seem to have moved. It looks a little damaged now. I saw that one fly there but it did not move afterwards as far as I could tell.
It looks like it could be the shell of a cicada. Was it alive?

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon