Who doesn't love Dragonfly

[Meadowlark]

I'm seeing multiple dragonflies of various types every day in the Pollinator Attractor Garden. I've concluded they are there because the food they like is there. I'm trying hard to determine what they are eating.

The whitetail, 12 spotted skimmer, and the 8 spotted skimmer...

 

[Meadowlark]

@Gemma...if you prefer, I will start another thread, but I thought we could just use this one...with your permission...for both dragonflies and damselflies.

Does anyone know the difference between them...dragonflies and damselflies?

I did not but asked AI and got this nice table in response:

Feature	Dragonfly	Damselfly
Wings at rest	Out flat	Folded together
Body	Thick, robust	Thin, delicate
Eyes	Touching	Separated
Flight	Fast, strong	Light, fluttery
Wing shape	Hindwings broader	All wings similar

Today I captured both in photo (with limited photo skill and equipment)

First a couple of Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) dragonflies:



Now an Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) damselfly I spotted today:

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Our little cat hunts them around the pond, I don't think she catches them much, and she is a lot more cautious since she took a giant leap and landed in the water

 

[Meadowlark]

 

[Gemma]

@Gemma...if you prefer, I will start another thread, but I thought we could just use this one...with your permission...for both dragonflies and damselflies.

I don't consider it mine just cause I started a thread. I love Dragonfly/ Damselfly and I'm happy to have the conversation

 

[Meadowlark]

Here we go with a "new" variety theHalloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) today. A nice looking one, don't you think?

Research shows: They feed primarily on smaller insects like gnats, mosquitoes, and flies but occasionally take larger prey, including other dragonflies.

I still have not found any dragonfly that takes out a butterfly.

 

[Meadowlark]

Continuing my search to determine what dragonflies eat especially in the garden. Zero progress so far.

 

[Meadowlark]

Today I observed this 12 spotted skimmer attacking a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly knocking it out of the air to the ground from which the butterfly took off apparently unharmed.

Not proof of dragonfly eating butterfly but very suspicious.

 

[Meadowlark]

Blue Dasher, Roseate Skimmer, Whitetail, and Widow Skimmers...