Bumble Bee for breakfast – Dragonflies (1 Viewer)

Question:

How do Dragonflies eat?

Simple question I guess, which I am sure someone will answer.

I took this pic today of a Golden Ringed Dragonfly, eating a Bee.
This thing really was beautiful, but actually quite scary at the same time, certainly a efficient predator.

Is it eating lumps of the bee, or sucking it dry?
Is that the mouthparts that can be seen in the picture?

Rich

Yes, the creamy coloured structure to the right of the dragonflies eye, just beyond it's front right leg is the right mandible of this arial predator. They mash up their prey with their mandibles swallowing the juices and softer parts of the prey item. What a horror.

I presume the yellow and black markings of this spectacular species are to deter birds from attacking, making them think that it either stings, or taste foul.

Yes I would guess so Steve.
Thanks for your explanation. :t:

Rich

Yikes! That's a great shot though!

Hi Leslie and thanks, you may be interested in some other pictures taken on the same day here.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/digitalwildlife/odonata/odonavbar.htm
and below.
Cheers

Rich

Rich, your photos are always fabulous.. this second one especially, is just phenomenal. So great of you to post these for us. I've wanted a really good Odonate eating shot for a long time and have a few with prey, but nothing even close to this order. Would you post here how you were able to get this perfect close-up photo? Thanks, Steve B

Hi all

Thanks for the complements regarding my photos.
Photographing this insect was remarkably easy to be honest.
I first noticed the Golden-ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) cruising the small pond where several of my Odonata photos are taken. It was getting a lot of hassle from the Emperor Dragonflies (Anax imperator) present but was clearly a bit bigger than they were. As it flew near to me I instantly realised what it was, (this was the first encounter I had had with the species). It flew past and down into the heather, I slowly approached the area and started firing shots from quiet a distance. The last thing I wanted was to come away with nothing, but it allowed me to approach rather close seeming uninterested in my presence and I noticed it was eating a small fly. It seemed to finish quickly and flew again this time staying around the heather and then landed. Once again I made my slow approach this time to discover it had a larger prey item, the bee in the photographs. It stayed put for several minutes allowing me to take photographs with the Coolpix 4500 at very close range less than 30cm away. This is my only encounter with this species to date so I am unaware how approachable they normally are, but it appeared so evolved in its meal that my presence was of no concern to it.
I have found this the case with mating Odonata too. I have a few shot of mating Common Hawkers for example, they seem so involved in what they are doing , they will allow an approach far closer than usual. It’s near impossible to photograph some of the males as they rarely seem to land but in some situations they are approachable.

Incidentally I had initially thought there was some damage to the eye of this insect in the above photo, having examined the before and after shots in the series It appears to be a peace of the bee, giving the illusion of a hole in the eye. I am not that familiar with the structure of their eyes, but to me it looked like it had been torn open.

All the best

Richard

Thanks for the history of it's taking, I enjoyed your encounter as I do my own.

Great photos Richard.
2 years ago I was watching a dragonfly eating a wasp, a friend turned up and identified it as a Golden Ringed. Do they specialise in eating bees and wasps or do all Dragonflies eat them?
We were lucky,apparently they're quite rare around here.

Rich

I have a few shot of mating Common Hawkers for example, they seem so involved in what they are doing , they will allow an approach far closer than usual.

Click to expand...

Are you sure they are common hawkers and not migrant hawkers? I cannot see an antehumeral stripe... but as you know I'm a beginner.
Ken

Surreybirder said:

Rich

Are you sure they are common hawkers and not migrant hawkers?
Ken

Click to expand...

No

Surreybirder said:

I cannot see an antehumeral stripe... but as you know I'm a beginner.
Ken

Click to expand...

Me to Ken, i think i posted on UK Dragonflies at the time and the general opinion was that they were Common Hawker. The ovipositing female, (scroll down) showed no triangle on the second segment and yellow costa, thought that could be the light, i think all species present were the same.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/digitalwildlife/odonata/cmhawker.htm

Not sure what you mean about the antehumerals?

Rich

Rich, there's no doubt that the ovipositing female is common: the costa is distinctly yellow.
The antehumeral stripes are on top of the thorax and are very obvious in southern hawker, for example. According to the books the stripes are normally present but thin on male common hawker and very thin and short on migrant hawker. (Perhaps they are Mediterranean hawkers--only joking!)

I see what you mean Ken, looking in the book I had not picked up on that as an id feature to separate the two, but as you say the male in my shot does not appear to show obvious antehumeral strips, though I note sure is this is the way the sun is catching it.
I haven’t knowingly seen Migrate Hawker; I hope to pick one out this year.

Cheers

Rich

Hi Richard,
Migrant Hawker should be abundant in your area:the species had only colonised Ireland recently and is already quite easy to see in season(a little early as yet,though they could be emerging now)
Harry H