Losing faith in humanity…one person at a time

While on a family trip through West Yellowstone, we were fortunate to witness dragonfly nymphs emerging from their skins and taking their adult forms.

The discarded skin or “exuvia” of a dragonfly nymph

Having just shed his skin, this adult dragonfly still resembles his nymph self. But not for long. With each breath his body lengthens and hardens, and wings begin to unfurl…

This newly emerged adult dragonfly rests on blades of grass near the river, waiting for his wings to fully unfurl and his body to dry.

The emergence process from nymph to adult dragonfly can take upwards of 4-6 hours. Click here to see more about the life cycle of the dragonfly, or google ‘Odonata’.