These Rare Damselflies Find Love With a Twist in Fog City | Deep Look

Most damselflies prefer sunny spots, but the quirky San Francisco forktail damselfly digs the fogginess of its hometown. When they hook up, they do it in style – linking their delicate bodies in a heart shape, then flying tandem for an hour or more after. SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look! http://goo.gl/8NwXqt​ Please join our community on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/deeplook​ DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small. --- The San Francisco forktail damselfly fits right in, in its hometown – a city that has long-attracted dreamers, misfits and lovers. Unlike most other damselfly species, the San Francisco forktail has uniquely adapted to the cooler, foggy conditions here, evolving a darker, more robust body, and a tolerance for colder weather. There are thousands of species of damselflies and their dragonfly cousins - a family of flying insects called odonates – but the San Francisco forktail is currently considered one the rarest in North America. Living in the city comes with obvious challenges for any wild animal trying to maintain its wild habitat. This rare and beautiful insect faces the perils of climate change and habitat loss, as well as hybridization with other local species. As the years go by, a warming climate means less of their beloved cool fog. Scientists at the San Francisco Zoo are working with ecologists from the Presidio Trust to re-establish the San Francisco forktail. --- --- What’s the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly? Damselflies and dragonflies are both odonates, a group of flying insects, but there are ways to tell them apart. Damselflies are typically more slender-bodied than their thicker, more robust dragonfly cousins. When they are at rest, damselflies usually fold their wings neatly behind themselves, and dragonflies keep their wings outstretched. Also, the two compound damselfly eyes are spaced apart, while dragonfly compound eyes are larger and connected in the middle. --- What is a baby damselfly called? Just like their dragonfly cousins, young damselfly nymphs are called naiads, and they spend the first phase of their lives living underwater. Naiads breathe through caudal gills that look like leafy appendages on their backsides. This phase of life can last from two months to more than a year, depending on species, water temperature and food availability. --- What do damselflies eat? Adult damselflies, like all odonates, eat flies, mosquitoes and other small insects, playing an important role in the food web (and keeping those mosquito numbers in check for us humans). They hover among small grasses and low vegetation, ambushing their prey. ---+ More great Deep Look episodes: A Baby Dragonfly's Mouth Will Give You Nightmares | Deep Look https://youtu.be/EHo_9wnnUTE Here’s How That Annoying Fly Dodges Your Swatter | Deep Look https://youtu.be/jBPFCvEhv9Y ---+ Shoutout! 🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following 5 fans on our Deep Look Community Tab 🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following 5 fans on our Deep Look Community Tab for correctly answering our GIF challenge! Zoo Emperor Wouter van der Voort Thomas Rivers Anonymous Jed Laroya ---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)! Chris B Emrick Burt Humburg David Deshpande Karen Reynolds Daisuke Goto Adam Kurtz Allison & Maka Masuda dane rosseter Kaleb Kuan Nathan Jewsbury Companion Cube Tianxing Wang Josh Kuroda Wild Turkey Neil Jeyasingam Mark Jobes Blanca Vides Cindy McGill Kevin Judge Titania Juang Anastasia Grinkevic Aurora Roberta K Wright Supernovabetty KW Syniurge monoirre Leonhardt Wille Carrie Mukaida El Samuels Gerardo Alfaro Nicky O. Mehdi Ed Gandia Scott Faunce Kristy Freeman Cristen Rasmussen Vivek Singh Rick Wong Sonia Tanlimco Misia Clive Kallie Moore Mary Truland Kelly Hong Carlos Carrasco SueEllen McCann Nicolette Ray Caitlin McDonough Noreen Herrington Louis O'Neill Shelley Pearson Cranshaw Teresa Lavell Laurel Przybylski Levi Cai Silvan Joshua Murallon Robertson TierZoo Elizabeth Ann Ditz Delphine Tseng Jana Brenning chckncurry ---+ Follow KQED Science and Deep Look: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kqedscience/​ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kqedscience​ ---+ About KQED KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, California, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media. Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by The National Science Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED. #damselfly #damselflies #deeplook


View on YouTube.