CLOSED: Is this insect molting, or.....

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qtjunebug Sunnyvale, CA Feb 06, 2011

I saw this insect while swimming in a natural spring in Spain...any ideas?

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Feb 07, 2011

This insect is indeed molting; it is a dragonfly emerging from the 'skin' of its immature stage (naiad) - see http://tinyurl.com/4ss79n5 for another example. These insects spend many months to a couple of years in the naiad stage, living underwater where they are predators on other small aquatic organisms. When they are fully grown, the naiads leave the water and climb onto some convenient surface there the change to the adult form takes place.

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