Most of a dragonfly's life cycle is lived out in the nymph stage, underwater, in still and calm waters. At the end of this stage, the nymph will crawl out of the water to complete its metamorphosis into a dragonfly by shedding its skin, which is left behind as an empty shell, known as the exuvia, which can often be found sticking on the spot where the dragonfly emerged, even long after the actual event.