We found this in our UK garden! Any ideas? Not sure if it had/has wings.
It has a segmented tail and 6 legs. It’s about 2 inches/ 8cm long.
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$\begingroup$ It would be helpful to include more information about exactly where in the UK you found this and what kind of habitat. $\endgroup$– tyersomeCommented Jul 24, 2019 at 3:03
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1$\begingroup$ That;s the last stage of the dragonfly in the pond, where it eats even tadpoles probably. It climbs out and emerges as a dragonfly, waits for it's wings to dry and flies away. $\endgroup$– bandybabboonCommented Jul 26, 2019 at 20:35
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$\begingroup$ If you look at reeds and grass next to ponds at this time of year, you are bond to see many of those. $\endgroup$– bandybabboonCommented Apr 10, 2020 at 10:17
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2 Answers
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That looks like the cast off outer layer of a dragon fly nymph§:
The following resources may be helpful to get a more precise identification:
https://www.fba.org.uk/sites/default/files/EA_specid/ea_specid_mod_8.pdf
https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/odonata/species-and-identification/
§Note: As pointed out by Arthur J. Frost this is actually the exoskeleton left behind when a dragonfly nymph molted and became an adult.
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3$\begingroup$ More properly, the OP is what's left of a dragonfly nymph; the adult had emerged and flown off some time prior. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 26, 2019 at 8:14
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