# how to catch damselfly larvae?



## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

I found an strange shrimp in my tank and I have no idea where its came from , even I am not sure if its a shrimp? its a transparent shrimp like with white eyes !

Sorry about the bad quality pic and video I lost it, it hide somewhere .

I have two amano shrimp and some RCS and some CRS but that was completely different shape!


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## vdub (Apr 22, 2010)

Not a shrimp. It's a dragonfly larvae.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks like a predator to me man. I'd get it out ASAP!


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

I just saw one of my Cherry Shrimps dead  I think thats the killer , but I dont know how to find and kill it


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## grizadams_7mm (Aug 29, 2011)

We had one of those in our tank as well, its actually a Damselfly larvae. They can and will be predatory. I'd get it out ASAP.


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

How did you catch it? I have lot of plant , I could not find it (


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## grizadams_7mm (Aug 29, 2011)

we have a small fine mesh net and when we saw it we scooped it. It can be tricky but I got lucky and it set it's self up. sorry that isn't much help but if you wait and watch it will show its self. If it morphs before you catch it it will leave the water.


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

I looked everywhere but I couldnt find it, do they eat shrimps and Cardinal Tetras , how fast they are ,and how hard is to catch them?


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## Ebonbolt (Aug 12, 2011)

I know for sure they'll eat small fish; not sure on the shrimp though. Don't know exactly how fast they are, but I would think that they're not easy to catch; they probably hide in crevices etc as well.


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## troutonafly (Jul 5, 2010)

if its a dragon flynymph ive had them and they eat everything that they can grab and they grow large eventually,i haad two and had to search tank for ahilw but finnaly netted 1 and squished the other


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

I am really dont know what it is , all the dragonfly and damselfly in the pictures dont have white eyes.

I could not find it anywhere , if I see it one more time hopefully I'll catch it.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

damselfly larvae have the elegant gill appendages trailing off the back of the abdomen. They will eat smaller (baby) shrimp and wrigglers but can't handle anything much larger - they're not the best fish hunters. I get them in several of my open top aquariums from time to time and really, their destructive power is overstated. They're much happier with midge larvae or microworms as food.

Dragonfly larvae are much more predatory, and much bigger. They're a real threat to shrimp, wigglers and sedentary free-swimming fry. They look very different from damselfly larvae.

Both are voracious predators of mosquito larvae as larvae, and of adult mosquitoes as adults. Very beneficial. Instead of squishing, consider moving them to a neighbourhood ditch or pond.

dragonfly larvae:


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

OK , finally caught it  it was completely different color ! when I saw it first time it was clear ,but when I caught it it was bright green ! I hope that's the same one (it was same shape). :lol:


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## grizadams_7mm (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm sure its the same one, I just drained my plant tank and found one swimming in the bucket.


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