Dragonfly/damselfly in tank!

[PaleoFishGirl]

This is too weird, but I just found a dead adult dragonfly/damselfly in my tank.  My rainbows had dug up one of my small (1.5 inch) stems of moneywort, and when I stuck it back in there was this dead insect stuck to it! As soon as the fishes saw it floating off the top of the plant, one of them snapped it up and ate it before I could get a closer look  

I wonder where it came from? I certainly don't have any nymphs in the tank, and there sure aren't any flying insects bigger than a fruit fly in my apartment.

[jaracas]

did you collect your moneywort yourself?
if so, was there a root mass or was it just cuttings.
damselfly nymphs are alot smaller than dragonfly nymphs and if the root mass was in the water when collected it could have quite easily hidden in there without your knowledge.
then when it moulted mature it probably just did as it would do normally and held on for the chitin to harden, but drowned before that could happen

[PaleoFishGirl]

Nope, bought the moneywort at PetSmart over a month ago.  Root mass, you say? There weren't enough roots for anything to hide in when I bought it.  The little piece that I replanted today was a stem that broke off 2 weeks ago that I thought would grow roots (and it has started to, at least until my rainbows dug it up).  

It may have come in on the Java Moss I bought at the auction.  Anyone know who sold that?

[Nerine]

HA! I KNEW IT! that's where I got mine too!!! I bought moneywort from Petsmart and ended up with dragonfly larvae that kept chasing around my guppy fry. this was early in the summer and it also happened last year, I still have one of the larvae in my freezer haha
I checked the moneywort today when it came in and they ALWAYS have eggs on them. which petsmart did you get your moneywort from?
ha had to edit, lost a word and nothing made sense

[PaleoFishGirl]

Innes... totally weird that I didn't notice any larvae, but I wasn't exactly looking either  I wonder if there are any more?  I'm surprised that even one made it past my rainbows, they only get fed once a day so are normally pretty voracious eaters.

[Nerine]

I got mine from Merivale, and today when I was there checked the moneywort, and sure enough eggs all over it!

[Julie]

Now girls, nothing a good fly swatter wouldn't kill.
I'm curious though are these the same dragonflies I see outside during the summer?

Julie

[PaleoFishGirl]

I didn't have enough time to look before my fish ate it, but I'm pretty sure it was a damselfly (dragonfly relative).  You may have seen them before outside and just thought they were dragonflies, as they are very similar.  Just Google 'damselfly' if you want to see what they are like.

[Julie]

Interesting fact is they've been around for 300 million years.

[Nerine]

I can't squash bugs, bad karma? hehe
I just put them in the freezer if they are interesting!

[PaleoFishGirl]

I can't squash bugs, bad karma? hehe
I just put them in the freezer if they are interesting!

... and then? Or do you just have a freezer full of insectsicles?

[Nerine]

haha I have a few in my freezer!! I only keep the odd ones! the rest I just send on their merry way back outside!