Dragonflies have the grace of lightness, flying balletic maneuvers in sun-glinted blurs and landing with a touch so soft that a slender leaf does not appear to feel it. The Dragonfly seen here apparently is a male Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) that was descending to a favorite perch in a local pond on Monday, August 18:
Yet, from nymph through winged adult, they are carnivorous and considered to be among the world’s most vicious and successful territorial predators.
Adult Dragonflies hunt almost any flying insect, from tiny midges and mosquitoes, to smaller dragonflies, to moths and butterflies that are larger than they are. They reportedly can consume up to 10 percent of their body weight in fellow insects daily.
The adults’ predatory skills derive from their excellent eyesight and extraordinary aerodynamic design. Their four wings can be moved and rotated independently. This enables them to attack in a straight line with incredible speed, yet fly straight up, straight down, stop and turn on a dime, and fly backwards.
Leighton Archive Image
Their hunting tactics seem to vary due to species. Some are so-called “hawkers,” which roam continuously over their territories in search of prey. Some are “perchers” (or “salliers”), which perch in poised position and wait for prey to come by before taking off; often they will return to a good spot after a kill and wait for another victim. Others are “gleaners,” which alternate perching with slow hunting flights through vegetation; they seem to favor stationary victims.
Blue Dashers , such as this one seen Monday, are perchers, They also are very aggressive protectors of their territories and sometimes seem to spend more time chasing other Blue Dashers than hunting.
(Brooklin, Maine)