Submission (#5602) Approved

The dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus) is a species of dragonfly, most notable for its nymph stage where it sports a wide flat body that is made to resemble a flat leaf like shape. The dragonhunter nymph is entirely aquatic, spending its time in streams and other bodies of fresh water where it hunts smaller bugs, fish and tadpoles. The nymph hunts by utilizing its body shape to lay on the bottom of ponds and streams, blending in with its surroundings. The nymphs, unlike their adult counterparts, are mostly slow moving and cannot zip around at top speeds, therefore have to rely on surprising their victims to get a quick meal. Despite this they do have one method of escape when need be, utilizing their gills located in their backside they can shoot out a jet of water propelling themselves forwards. However, this form of movement isn’t the best for securing a meal, leaving the nymph to rely on other methods. When any unfortunate creature swims a little too close to the nymph it will shoot out a part of its jaw known as the labium and pull the prey back into its hungry jaws. The dragonhunter will spend most of its existence as its aquatic nymph form, living several years before metamorphosing into its adult counterpart which sadly only lives a few months. The adult of this species, measuring in at about 3 ½ inches, eats various insects including other dragonflies and even the toxic monarch butterfly, skillfully avoiding their abdomen when consuming the prey.
Dragonflies as a whole are a notable species for how successful predators they are, notably 95 percent of dragonfly hunts are successful. Dragonflies are one of the only species known to be able to change their flight path midair, able to go up, down and side to side with ease. Because of this adept flying skill, they are constantly in flight and will do all of their hunting while in the air. They’re so well built for flying this way that modern drones and other robotics are often based on the dragonflies flight capabilities. It has been studied that dragonflies are able to adapt their speed and flight patterns to their prey. Speeding up to be faster than nearly any insect they encounter. Scientists have noted that they will often match their speed to go exactly one meter per second faster than whatever it is they are targeting. They’re such aggressive predators that they will notably attack any small flying object within their reach, this is how researchers are able to study their hunting patterns through the use of small beads on string!
When it comes to conservation, the dragonhunter is reliant on access to clean waterways, which their nymphs depend on for survival. They are a vital part of our ecosystem, regulating smaller insects including pesky bugs like mosquitoes and biting flies. For those looking to help out dragonhunter populations, they can take steps to clean up natural streams and reservoirs. If a dragonhunter nymph is found in a location it indicates that the stream or pond is maintaining a healthy ecosystem.



https://biology.ucdavis.edu/news/how-dragonflies-catch-prey-midair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonhunter#/media/File:Dragonhunter-side.jpg
http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2015/05/dragon-hunters-even-as-youngsters-are.html
https://www.marylandbiodiversity.com/view/654