Dragonflies are officially my new favorite insect. Not sure I actually had a favorite before this (Ladybugs? Praying Mantis?) but now that I know more about these amazing creatures, I will forever be in awe of them.
My interest was peaked yesterday when my husband had my daughter in the pool of the RV park we’re staying at. I was just sitting with my feet dangling in the water and my hubs warned me that a wasp kept approaching from the steps of the pool, dipping in the water, and leaving again. Since my daughter got stung by one of those little SOB’s last week, I was on vicious defense. The wasp reappeared and I was fully ready to duke it out. Armed with my daughter’s pool float, I started wacking at the black insect, attempting to knock it into the water so I could drown it. I would show no mercy. I did hit him but he bounced back with a vengeance.
Suddenly, a dragonfly appeared. That wasp took off like a bat out of hell in less than 1 second. My husband commented, “Did you see that? The wasp seemed scared of the dragonfly. Do dragonflies eat wasps?”
“I don’t know!” Let me consult trusty Mr. Google. Yes, they eat wasps. And pretty much every other insect you can think of. But they leave us humans alone, thankfully. With those mandibles, we should be quite grateful they don’t bite us! They are brutal predators, hitting their mark 95% percent of the time, and able to eat their body weight in 30 minutes, only to fly off again looking for their next meal. Impressive huh? That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Read more on Mother Nature Network, and pay your respects to this incredible killing machine next time you see one.
