dragonflies

[Stevens]

We have a bunch of them around this time of year below are a couple of pics I took in the yard. In the last one I saw one flying holding the other I first thought they were mating then I saw and could even hear one eating and chewing on the smaller one. I saw it with another pair also.
Steve W

 

[Bullet Bob]

When I was in my pre-teen years, we used to take .22's with shot cartridges down to the pond to practice our wingshooting on them, an act I regret now. Anything that eats mosquitos is to be treasured, and they are beautiful. I guess I can ease my conscience a little by thinking about how few we actually hit. This was long before CCI came out with their plastic shelled .22's; the ones we used had a little fine shot in a crimped case.

 

[Doug627]

When I was a kid, someone told us that dragonflies were snake doctors and took care of sick and injured snakes. We were also told that if dragonflies flew by children while they were talking, they would sew our mouths closed. This scared the **** out of us. It also kept the noise level down in the neighborhood during the summer.

 

[mod34]

Predators 3; Dragonflies 0

 

[LVSteve]

Dragonflies eating other dragonflies, or their damselfly cousins, is not all that unusual. That said, you seem to have photographed one female Eastern Pondhawk eating another of the same species. That I have not seen before. Usually it is a big Darner species eating something smaller.

 

[quneur]

We used to catch them when we were young. We used to tie strings to the end of their tails and walk them around like pets. Unfortuneately, they would end up tail-less. Now, I welcome them due to mosquitos.

There is a Japanese superstition that says a dragonfly landing on your fishing pole is good luck. It refers to how steady you can hold your pole.

 

[Arik]

Ok that spider officially creeped me out..

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Sebago Son]

Dragons

I always look forward tot he arrival of the Dragons in late June... it means I'll be able to sit out on my deck without swatting....

Subarctic Darner.



Auburn Meadowhawk.





Before the summer is over we usually become pretty good friends...

Fawn Darner.



This guy is smiling because he's got a tummy full of 'skeeters...



It seems that depending upon field, swamp and stream conditions, every year a different species is dominent on this property. Some years it's tiny hawks, other years it's huge darners. It's always a pleasure to anticiapate the variety.





Tough to catch one on the wing as they wizzzzzzz by, let alone three.

 

[Dragonfly]

I approve of this thread!

 

[Bill Bates]

Dragonflies are fun to watch. To me they mean summer days filled with walks in meadows and along streams in the local canyons.

True Love

 

[Jyezahn]

We used to catch them when we were young. We used to tie strings to the end of their tails and walk them around like pets. Unfortuneately, they would end up tail-less.

Used to do that with Junebugs. Tie a string around one of their legs and let 'em fly in circles until their leg ripped off. Then go find another.

 

[LVSteve]

It seems that depending upon field, swamp and stream conditions, every year a different species is dominent on this property. Some years it's tiny hawks, other years it's huge darners. It's always a pleasure to anticiapate the variety.

Pretty sure that is a Blue Dasher.

 

[Brian41]

Mom told us as kids they were darning needles and would sew the mouths shut of all children that lied. We had some pretty honest children around when I was growing up.

 

[pharmer]

Pretty smart for bugs, too. About 30 years ago me and a co worker were sitting in my car at lunch on a construction site. It was swampy and loaded with skeeters. I swatted one on the inside of the windshield. A dragonfly bounced off the outside trying to get it. Without hesitation, it flew around to the open door, came in and scooped the fresh kill and flew off. I was amazed. Joe

 

[2152hq]

Used to do that with Junebugs. Tie a string around one of their legs and let 'em fly in circles until their leg ripped off. Then go find another.

' 911, What is your emergency?'

'...There's some kids out side that're tying strings to JuneBugs and makin 'em fly in circles till their legs get ripped off'.



How times have changed.....

 

[Jyezahn]

' 911, What is your emergency?'

'...There's some kids out side that're tying strings to JuneBugs and makin 'em fly in circles till their legs get ripped off'.



How times have changed.....

Yeah, nowadays, we'd get hauled in for a psych eval for doing that kind of cruel thing to "pseudo-sentient beings".

 

[Sebago Son]

Pretty sure that is a Blue Dasher.

I think you are right Steve!

 

[fat tom]

This is my favorite Dragonfly. I'm pretty sure it's a Spyderco.



f.t.

 

[cussedemgun]

When I was a young'en - - -

We used a butterfly net to catch 'em for fish bait

Mr. Trout couldn't resist if you hooked them thru the tail & laid them in the foot of a ripple to drift into the lower hole.

Almost as much fun as the grass hoppers, NO,Wait, crickets too!

If I remember right, it was almost as much fun gathering bait as it was fishing

 

[Robotech]

Pretty smart for bugs, too. About 30 years ago me and a co worker were sitting in my car at lunch on a construction site. It was swampy and loaded with skeeters. I swatted one on the inside of the windshield. A dragonfly bounced off the outside trying to get it. Without hesitation, it flew around to the open door, came in and scooped the fresh kill and flew off. I was amazed. Joe

Very smart, for insects. Some years ago, on several occasions when I was working outside, I had a dragonfly land on my hat brim. When a deerfly would inevitably show up, my mini-fighter escort would launch, catch the fly, return to its perch to eat its prey, and wait for the next fly. Soon it wasn't just one dragon fly, but several, taking turns, keeping the local airspace free of deerflies and mosquitoes.

This still happens now and then when I'm out working in the garden, but not very often, and then only a lone dragonfly, not a whole squadron. This may be only instinctive behavior, but I sometimes wonder.