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What is an exuvia left behind by an emerging dragonfly or damselfly?
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Odonata
Male jewelwing damselfly (Calopteryx splendens).
An exuvia is the exuvia—the remains of the old cuticle—that is left behind after an insect undergoes ecdysis.
In the context of Odonata, this process occurs during emergence. As the aquatic larva reaches the end of its final instar, it climbs out of the water onto a support, such as vegetation. The larval skin then splits, allowing the adult to emerge and leave the empty, dried-up shell behind.12