A favorite moment of mine, on a given warm summer afternoon, is to witness the emerging dragonfly armada rise up from the waters. Once they arrive, they make short work of pesky mosquitoes and gnats. Dragonflies are the much dreaded aerial assassin in the life of a mosquito. The dragonfly has an interesting life – starting underwater. And from day one, they are purely predators.
The life cycle of an aerial assassin
One would likely assume dragonflies have a one year – or two season – life span here in Minnesota. This is not the case. Dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater in the form of a nymph. The nymphs can live three to four years in the water prior to becoming land dwelling! The larvae emerge from the eggs laid by the female dragonfly in summer and they will develop into nymphs that look nothing like the adult, winged dragonfly.
As a nymph, the carnivorous creatures prowl the shallows of still ponds. They prefer calm water. This is where they hunt. Their diet consists of water fleas, worms, other dragonfly nymphs (yes, they are cannibalistic), and mosquito larvae! Larger dragon fly nymphs will even tackle tadpoles and small fish. Voracious is the descriptor that comes to mind when I think of these hunting machines. Yes, even at the lowest levels of existence, life can be a struggle in the predator/prey relationship.
As I indicated above, dragonflies, our aerial assassins, only spend a short portion of their lives as adults. Their primary focus as adults is on mating and producing another generation of dragonflies. Fortunately for us, they spend a good deal of time eating mosquitoes while they are seeking out a mate.
Equipped to be a hunting machine
Dragonflies are well equipped to be extraordinary hunters. Let’s start with their vision. It is exceptional and, with such large eyes, that can pivot on a ‘neck’ stem, they have superior peripheral vision. Next lets look at the four wings that a dragonfly can control independent of the others. Having four wings all capable of simultaneously moving in different directions gives the dragonfly maneuverability that would put a Blackhawk Helicopter to shame.
And perhaps the heart of the hunter is the six legs that serve as a trap – or more accurately, a snare. The legs are lined with tiny sharp spikes. The dragonfly hunts with it’s legs outstretched and holds position in a slight breeze as mosquitoes and other gnats blow past. In a blink the aerial assassin will outmaneuver it’s prey, snare it with it’s legs and devour it in flight. Very efficient. The dragonfly will repeat this tactic over and over again.
Our friend, the aerial assassin
I can’t imagine how many more mosquitoes I would be swatting were it not for the efforts of the dragonfly. They are truly remarkable and truly our friends. The next time you see a dragonfly, give it a nod of appreciation and perhaps a word or two of thanks. (Just don’t let anyone catch you talking to insects! Social stigmas being what they are.)
Photographing dragonflies
Obviously, the simplest way to photograph a dragonfly is when it is at rest on a stem of grass. The challenge is their cautionary ways and keen eyesight. That is why I typically use my Nikon 500mm Prime lens attached to the Nikon D850 so that I can get in close without the disruptive physical proximity. Depth of field can be a challenge in shooting in this manner. I find my lens is sharpest at f/7.1 so that is where I do the majority of this type of shooting. Dragonflies spook easily for they too are part of the greater food chain.
I captured the following image at 1/6400 sec. f/10 340mm with ISO of 1250 using my Nikon D700.
The aerial assassin has an Achilles Heal
Dragonflies are vulnerable to attack by birds in the early morning – a dewy early morning. As dragonflies settle on grass stems, their wings become covered with morning dew. Dragonflies are flightless at this time – until their wings dry – and can simply be picked up or plucked off by foraging birds. Kind of sad, but such is life in the food chain.
Have you heard?
I’m running a sale right now at the RedBarnProject. 20, yes 20% off my already affordable regular prices. Now is the time to make some purchases. Maybe a dragonfly print? Kids love ‘bugs’ and I have some interesting insect photos in several of the Galleries. Read about the sale here, or just click ‘Home’ to the upper left and it will take you to my website. Doesn’t that sound like fun?
Closing
Today we learned a little bit about dragonflies, the aerial assassin. A small cog in the greater design of Nature. I’ll have to wait another 6 months to see them again. However, in the meantime, there are so many things to do in the vast outdoors – and no pesky mosquitoes! The ultimate goal is to get outdoors! Breath the fresh air. Stand in the sunshine. Look for activity – be it a Chickadee on a feeder or a crazy squirrel burying and retrieving acorns. There is so much to appreciate. Calm and peace overcome us as we take in the sights and sounds of Nature. Very therapeutic, Nature is. Go out and get some today! Peace.
