I'll wind up this series with some predation I witnessed while photographing the other 4 parts of the series. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are predators in both stages of their life. The larvae eat whatever small aquatic life they can find. This includes other aquatic insect larvae (midges, mosquitos, damselflies, beetles, etc.) as well as small fish, tadpoles, aquatic worms, and even other dragonfly larvae. Thus in a fishless pond they would be considered an apex predator.
As adults, dragonflies eat just about anything they can catch while on the wing. Mosquitoes, gnats, flies, flying ants, swarming termites, mayflies, midges, butterflies (even big swallowtails), damselflies, other dragonflies, or just about anything they can catch.
Even in just a small area, populations of matchstick-sized damselflies that whiz around, consume hundreds and thousands of insects. In their short lifetime one can consume about 2 pounds of insects.
Dragonflies and damselflies are also cannibalistic. As I showed in the one set, the Dragonhunter will eat other dragonflies. I even have a picture of one that has a hummingbird on the ground by the neck. Not sure what he thinks he will do with it. I have other photos from Costa Rica showing a damselfly eating another damsel of its own species.
Here are four photos from the Florida survey demonstrating this.
A female Eastern Pondhawk eating a Blue Dasher dragonfly

Eastern Pondhawk(Erythemis simplicicollis ) F w/ Blue Dasher by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

Another Eastern Pondhawk with a Powdered Dancer damselfly

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) F and a Powdered Dancer by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

An Eastern Amberwing with a midge

Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) F by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

And an Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) with a Powdered Dancer

Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) with a Powdered Dancer by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

I hope you've enjoyed the series.
>i< Doc

I'll wind up this series with some predation I witnessed while photographing the other 4 parts of the series. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are predators in both stages of their life. The larvae eat whatever small aquatic life they can find. This includes other aquatic insect larvae (midges, mosquitos, damselflies, beetles, etc.) as well as small fish, tadpoles, aquatic worms, and even other dragonfly larvae. Thus in a fishless pond they would be considered an apex predator.
As adults, dragonflies eat just about anything they can catch while on the wing. Mosquitoes, gnats, flies, flying ants, swarming termites, mayflies, midges, butterflies (even big swallowtails), damselflies, other dragonflies, or just about anything they can catch.
Even in just a small area, populations of matchstick-sized damselflies that whiz around, consume hundreds and thousands of insects. In their short lifetime one can consume about 2 pounds of insects.
Dragonflies and damselflies are also cannibalistic. As I showed in the one set, the Dragonhunter will eat other dragonflies. I even have a picture of one that has a hummingbird on the ground by the neck. Not sure what he thinks he will do with it. I have other photos from Costa Rica showing a damselfly eating another damsel of its own species.
Here are four photos from the Florida survey demonstrating this.
A female Eastern Pondhawk eating a Blue Dasher dragonfly

Eastern Pondhawk(Erythemis simplicicollis ) F w/ Blue Dasher by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

Another Eastern Pondhawk with a Powdered Dancer damselfly

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) F and a Powdered Dancer by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

An Eastern Amberwing with a midge

Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) F by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

And an Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) with a Powdered Dancer

Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) with a Powdered Dancer by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

I hope you've enjoyed the series.
>i< Doc

I'll wind up this series with some predation I witnessed while photographing the other 4 parts of the series. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are predators in both stages of their life. The larvae eat whatever small aquatic life they can find. This includes other aquatic insect larvae (midges, mosquitos, damselflies, beetles, etc.) as well as small fish, tadpoles, aquatic worms, and even other dragonfly larvae. Thus in a fishless pond they would be considered an apex predator.
As adults, dragonflies eat just about anything they can catch while on the wing. Mosquitoes, gnats, flies, flying ants, swarming termites, mayflies, midges, butterflies (even big swallowtails), damselflies, other dragonflies, or just about anything they can catch.
Even in just a small area, populations of matchstick-sized damselflies that whiz around, consume hundreds and thousands of insects. In their short lifetime one can consume about 2 pounds of insects.
Dragonflies and damselflies are also cannibalistic. As I showed in the one set, the Dragonhunter will eat other dragonflies. I even have a picture of one that has a hummingbird on the ground by the neck. Not sure what he thinks he will do with it. I have other photos from Costa Rica showing a damselfly eating another damsel of its own species.
Here are four photos from the Florida survey demonstrating this.
A female Eastern Pondhawk eating a Blue Dasher dragonfly

Eastern Pondhawk(Erythemis simplicicollis ) F w/ Blue Dasher by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

Another Eastern Pondhawk with a Powdered Dancer damselfly

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) F and a Powdered Dancer by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

An Eastern Amberwing with a midge

Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) F by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

And an Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) with a Powdered Dancer

Okefenokee Fishing Spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis) with a Powdered Dancer by Tony Schoch, on Flickr

I hope you've enjoyed the series.
>i< Doc