Variable Wisp Damselfly (Agriocnemis femina)

There are some small creatures hidden in the familiar nature around us, which we usually do not look at with our eyes. However, if we observe them carefully, their appearance and lifestyle surprise us. Today, we will discuss one such wonderful insect, which many of us see flying around water bodies.

Name and scientific identification:
The common name of this beautiful and small-sized Damselfly is the variable wisp, which is also known by many as the pinhead wisp. In scientific terminology, it is called Agriocnemis femina. It is basically a very small type of needle-shaped Damselfly or damselfly belonging to the Coenagrionidae family. In entomology, their genus or genus is Agriocnemis. They are usually seen roaming around rice fields, small ponds, ponds or any grassy forest around confined and still water in our rural areas.

​Size:
In terms of size, these Damselfly are actually so small that their body length and wingspan are only 20 to 25 millimeters. That is, they are not larger than two to two and a half centimeters on a common scale. There is quite a variety in their body color. When they sit quietly on a blade of grass with their wings folded, they are not easily recognizable. This strange ability to blend in with nature helps them escape from other predators.

​Food list:
Looking at the food list, it can be seen that this small Damselfly is actually a skilled hunter of nature. They survive by hunting mosquitoes, flies, aphids and very small insects that damage plants from the air while flying. Not only in their full-grown state, but even when their larvae or nymphs are underwater, they feed on mosquito eggs and larvae.

​Reproduction:
Their reproduction process is quite excellent and they usually choose a still aquatic environment for this. During the breeding season, the female Damselfly lays her eggs on the soft stems or inner leaves of various aquatic plants under water. The larvae that hatch from the eggs spend a considerable part of their early life underwater and grow by hunting small aquatic insects. Later, through transformation, they spread their wings as full-fledged Damselfly and fly in the air.

​Benefits and Harms:
Their benefits to the environment are immense. They naturally control the reproduction of mosquitoes and act as friends of farmers by destroying harmful insects on crops. In addition, their high presence around any water body is a very positive indicator for the environment, which proves that the water and the overall nature there are quite healthy and pollution-free. And when it comes to harm, they do not have any harmful aspects for humans or crops. They are completely non-toxic and do not bite humans or cause any damage to crops. This tiny damselfly is silently doing its job to keep nature beautiful and balanced.

I learned about them from various sites including iNaturalist, Wikipedia and Google.

(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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Camera Used	Samsung SM-G973F
F-Stop	F2.4
ISO speed	ISO
Focal length	26mm
Flash	No
Editing app	MIX
Photography	(Agriocnemis femina)
Photographer	@mshbd
Location	Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh