If you are at the beach you might look up and notice that an interesting
migration of dragonflies is taking place just over your head. Dragonflies are
heading south to escape the frozen north in considerable numbers and I watched
many common green darners passing by at Caspersen beach, Venice, FL, on Oct.
21. It may surprise you that relatively primitive insects such as dragonflies
are capable of such long distance migration. They are extraordinary flyers but
they apparently get hungry while flying and their appetites take a bizarre
turn. This species is common around our farm ponds in VA so it is interesting
to see where they go when they leave and are replaced by the equally large, but
cool weather tolerant shadow darner.
I saw several twosomes of common green darner dragonflies writhing on the road
and on closer inspection realized that one of the pair was eating the other!
The dragonfly on top had its jaws embedded into the thorax of the victim. I
knew that falcons often eat migrating dragonflies but did not realize that
these predaceous insects could and would eat their own species.
Bill Dunson
Englewood, FL
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Common green darner male migrating at Caspersen Beach 10.21.15 Bill Dunson IMG_9612 aa.jpg
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Common green darners males cannibalism at Caspersen Beach 10.21.15 Bill Dunson IMG_9618 bb.jpg
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Common green darners males cannibalism at Caspersen Beach 10.21.15 Bill Dunson IMG_9621 cc.jpg
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Common green darners males cannibalism at Caspersen Beach 10.21.15 Bill Dunson IMG_9627 dd.jpg
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