Mating pair. Oak Canyon Nature Center, Anaheim Hills, Orange County, CA. 4/23/10. © Joan Hampton.

Damselflies have several different appearances as they mature. When they first emerge from the nymph stage, they are called tenerals and can be almost transparent (like the one shown above). With their wings not yet fully formed, they fly awkwardly to a nearby perch and rapidly begin to mature. The two photos on the left show how, in a period of just six minutes, blood has flowed into veins in the wings, thus turning the once-floppy appendages into more solid structures. The body color also darkens and becomes more vivid, particularly in older tenerals. Adult coloration is darker yet, then, as the damselflies continue to age, their colors begin to fade into softer, more subtle hues (the same is true with dragonflies).