A butterfly harassing a dragonfly in it's
territory!
Warning! This post is not for sensitive viewers!
They say that one needs a special high speed camera to catch a dragonfly eating his prey, But I hope that the photos here will convince you that it can be done with an ordinary camera.
When this one landed, I thought that there was something abnormal about him and that his head was damaged in a fight with another drag. But a great surprise was waiting for me.
Come and have a look!
See? There was an insect in his mouth!
I zoomed to get a better view, while at the same time switching to the "Macro" setting!
Whaw! A big and fat insect that he had here!
Just look at this drag chewing away!
At the same time he looks happy with his catch!
Almost done eating as he was preparing to swallow!
Down it all goes into his stomach!
Done! Lunch is over in about 15 seconds or less.
Finally, just to show you how the drags like my zigzag tree in the afternoon sun.
Here's some more information for you!
"14 Fun Facts About Dragonflies"
"By Sarah Zielinski
smithsonian.com
October 5, 2011"
"Flying insects are usually annoying. Mosquitoes bite you, leaving itchy red welts. Bees and wasps sting. Flies are just disgusting. But there’s something magical about dragonflies".
"1 ) Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossil dragonflies have been found with wingspans of up to two feet".
"7 ) Dragonflies catch their insect prey by grabbing it with their feet. They’re so efficient in their hunting that, in one Harvard University study, the dragonflies caught 90 to 95 percent of the prey released into their enclosure".
"8 ) The flight of the dragonfly is so special that it has inspired engineers who dream of making robots that fly like dragonflies".
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-dragonflies-96882693/
I have only placed some highlights here and you can read the rest by visiting the link above!
Note: All photos and photo descriptions are my own and the sections at the end of the post, marked by inverted commas ("") was duly cited!
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