Sunday, July 8, 2012

Rapids Clubtail
Life as a predator is not easy. Predators have to spend most of their time hunting for prey if they are going to survive. Dragonflies are predators. They eat other insects. Usually dragonflies catch their prey while in flight. This dragon is a rapids clubtail. They are smaller dragonflies that are usually found around larger rivers. They would usually prey on insects about the size of large flies.
Midland Clubtail
 The midland clubtail , pictured above, is a fierce hunter. They are also commonly found around large rivers. They are a mid-sized dragonfly. With their larger size midland clubs will often go after larger prey then their cousins the rapids club.
Midland Clubtail eating a Rapids Clubtail
 Sometimes that may even include the rapids clubtail itself, as pictured in the photo above. This midland is eating the thorax of the rapids club. This was an epic fight with the combatants pretty evenly matched. Usually the first thing that a dragon will do when it catches another dragon is pop off the preys head. but this midland was having a difficult time holding a dragon that was not much smaller then itself. In the end the larger dragon prevailed and the circle of life continued.


2 comments:

Karen Smithey said...

Wow! Beautiful pictures, and interesting info! Where we live there are stretches in the summer where our pasture is just a swarm of dragonflies. The kids and I used to call them "Dragonfly Days." I didn't realize they were probably all trying to eat each other!

Pat said...

Terrific photos!