Every time someone asks me what is my favorite animal/insect, I say it is the dragonfly.
Going outside, I got a rare encounter with a dragonfly and took a picture of it. It's rare to see a dragonfly here where I live in South America, but this insect always fascinated me.
So I would like to share some facts about dragonflies with you guys!
There are some things that people don't know about the dragonfly. They may seem like beautiful insect planes flying gracefully, but they are, in reality, vicious predators.
Adult dragonflies are insectivorous. They eat mosquitoes, fruit flies, moths, and even other dragonflies. They are extremely efficient, capturing most of their targets on the first try. They have big and thin wings for a reason: larger wings don't make a buzzing sound to alert your prey.
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| This gif is not mine. It is merely illustrative. |
As you can see, they use the front spines on their front legs to securely hold their prey. You can see the spines in the picture that I took.
You may know that dragonflies stay near water to reproduce and leave their larvae underwater, but have you ever wondered what the dragonflies nymphs eat?
Exactly! Not only are they predators while adults, but their nymphs are able to eat mosquito larvae, tadpoles, and even small fish. It's not something that you see every day, there are few insects that can eat an animal whole without help.
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| This gif is not mine. It is merely illustrative. |
They have an extendable moth claw that they use to capture their prey. It makes you think that they inspired the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise.
Well, I hope you now have a greater appreciation for these predator insects of the air.