All these years: I'm 77. I never realized before that dragonflies caught bugs in the air. I was I guess too overwhelmed that they are water creatures who take to the air later in life so much that I didn't realize that that's what dragonflies do while flitting about in the air. Interesting stuff!
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Yes, dragonflies catch bugs in the air. They are skilled aerial predators that hunt other flying insects, using their spiny legs to form a "basket" to scoop up prey. With
excellent agility and speed, they can hover, fly backward, and
intercept their prey with remarkable success, catching up to 95% of the
bugs they target. This video shows a dragonfly catching insects in mid-air:
1. Aerial pursuit:
Dragonflies fly at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and can instantly accelerate, making them formidable aerial hunters.
Adult dragonflies prey on a variety of flying insects, including: - Mosquitoes
- Flies
- Midges
- Butterflies and moths
- Bees and wasps
- Smaller dragonflies and damselflies
How Dragonflies Catch Prey in Midair | UC Davis
Jan 4, 2023
Jan 4, 2023 — Dragonflies are such voracious predators that they will readily attack most small objects flying through the air, even if the object is a tiny ...
Dragonflies eat other insects, such as flies, midges and mosquitoes.
They will also take butterflies and even smaller dragonflies. Prey is
normally caught in mid-air, with the dragonfly using its long legs to
catch its quarry. The food will then be carried to a perch where it is
eaten.May 29, 2019
YouTube · National Science Foundation News
Dragonflies are ancient predators that can fly, hover, and mate in midair. They have excellent eyesight and can catch prey in less than a second.
Dragonflies are skilled hunters, with a 95% kill rate, thanks to their precise brain-eye-wing coordination.
YouTube · Observing Nature
They will eat mosquitoes and other flying insects so the reason they're here is probably because there's food.
I'm going to share my recent obsession with the dragonflies that live in my backyard.
2. Leg basket:
They use their long, spiny legs to create a basket-like structure to capture insects as they fly. 3. Mid-flight dining:
Dragonflies can fly to a branch or post to eat their captured meal or even consume it in mid-air. 4. High success rate:
Their exceptional agility and precision allow them to catch prey between 90-95% of the time. Dragonflies Prove to be Top Gun | Science Nation
Sep
29, 2011 — this dragonfly is grabbing its meal on the go this attempt
is so fast that unless we film it in high speed. we can't s...
YouTube ·
National Science Foundation News
Feeding Habits of Daring Dragonflies
Aug
12, 2019 — Larger dragonflies will eat their own body weight in insect
prey every day. ... They are extremely agile and catch the...
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
