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.

 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.

 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.

Eat or Be Eaten

WARNING: There are parts of this post that are quite graphical. Since nature isn't always pretty I have decided to include a photo that may gross out some people. I am giving you this warning so that if you are squeamish you can decide whether or not you would like to continue.
Dragonflies are predators. They hunt, kill and eat other insects. Unfortunately when you are an insect sometimes the predator can become the prey. All sorts of other creatures often snack on dragonflies. This includes birds, frogs, spiders, wasps and more.
Dragonflies, also often attack and eat other dragonflies. Typically it is the largest dragons that eat the smaller ones. One day while I was out photographing dragonflies at Wild River State Park during the summer I had the opportunity to photograph the life and death struggle between two dragons.
In this case the larger yellow dragon appeared to be a midland clubtail while the smaller one looked like a rapids clubtail. The midland grabbed the rapids by the thorax, most likely coming at it from above, wrapping its legs around the smaller dragon in a death grip. Then its used its jaws to eat out the thorax of the rapids. The rapids club put up a fight. Its attempt to break free flipped the pair over on their backs but it could not break the grip of the larger dragon. I don't think that the midland was quite finished with its meal but it decided to use caution around the large predator that was taking photos. As you can see from the last photo there was not much left of the rapids clubs thorax. Perhaps the midland returned later after I left to finish its meal otherwise I am sure that scavengers like ants, bees, or spiders finished the job.

Midland Clubtail

One of the bigger clubtail dragonflies that we have here in Minnesota is the midland clubtail. The are a dragon that is typically found near rivers and large streams. I usually find all kinds of midland clubs along the St Croix River in Wild River State Park.

Midland clubs are strong fliers which enables them to chase down other dragons. They will often prey on some of the other large dragons such as common pondhawks, twelve-spotted skimmers and rapids clubtails.

Female midland clubs lay their eggs by dipping their abdomen into the water and letting the eggs wash off. The male will patrol the area while the female is laying the eggs to make sure that no other male tries to procreate before she is finished laying the eggs that he has fathered.

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Midland Clubtail Dragonfly

The midland clubtail is another one of the larger dragonflies that you can find in Minnesota. It is similar in appearance to several of the other large clubtail dragonflies, notably the splendid clubtail, the cobra clubtail and the plains clubtail. The field markings that help distinguish between the the four are the yellow top spots on segments 8 and 9 of the abdomen. The midland club has a small triangular top spot on segment 8 and nothing on 9. The plains clubtail has top spots on both 8 and 9 while the splendid and cobra do not have top spots on either.

The midland club is typically found near rivers, large fast moving streams or large lakes with plenty of motion, I photographed these midland clubs on the banks of the St Croix River in Wild River State Park. Because of their size, and because they are strong fliers, they often will hunt larger damselfly and other dragons. Dragons as large as twelve-spotted skimmer or rapids clubtails are even acceptable prey to the midland clubtail.

Midland Clubtail

In the insect world the order Odonata is made up of dragonflies and damselflies. The order was named back in 1793 and roughly translated it means toothed ones, because of their toothed lower lip which is called the labium. The easiest way to determine whether an odonate is a dragonfly or a damselfly is to look at the placement of the eyes. Damselflies always have their eyes set apart while the eyes of the dragonflies are in contact with each other.

Of course every rule has to have its exception and the exception to the odonate eye rule is the clubtails. Even though clubtails have separated eyes, and that hammerhead type of look of the damselfly they are actually a part of the Anisoptera, or dragonfly, suborder. This is because their forewing is a different size and shape then their hindwing. Thus they belong to the Anisoptera, or different wing, suborder. Damselflies are part of the Zygoptera, or same wing, suborder because forewings and hindwing are relatively the same size and shape.
The midland clubtail is a good sized clubtail that is typically found near rivers, large streams and clear lakes. The prefer clear water with a lot of current or waves. They are a strong flier which allows them to hunt other dragons some which are not much smaller then they are, such as the larger skimmers and smaller clubtails. Although midland clubs are supposed to be somewhat rare in my area I always find a good number of them to photograph in Wild River State Park, on the shores of the St Croix River in the month of June.

Midland Clubtail a Lifer Dragonfly

Not all of the dragonflies and damselflies that I found at Dodge Nature Center in mid June were common ones that I often see. That day was the day that I spotted my first clubtail. Clubtails are named such because of the enlarged, club looking, segments at the end of their abdomen. Clubtails are also one of the few types of dragonflies where there eyes do not meet at the top of their head, they are set more like damselfly eyes.
Although this species of clubtail, the midland clubtail, is not listed by the Minnesota Odonata Survey Project as a species of interest, species which are listed as special concern or rarely seen in Minnesota, several others are, such as the zebra clubtail, splendid clubtail, skillet clubtail and the least clubtail. Still this was the first one of this type that I have seen or in birding

world terms it was a lifer. One of the interesting things that I found out about the midland clubtail is that they are large, around 2.2 inches long, and are strong fliers. This allows them to prey on other dragonflies, not only the small species but also dragons as large as eastern pondhawks and twelve-spotted skimmers.