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Dragonfly Wings by Seth Snap

dragonfly and damselflies @ Audubon Society , Austerlitz, NY May 19, 2014

daytime calls the dragonflies
moonlight masks their sleep;
while damselflies fly ‘neath the stars
and nap in bright of day.

dragonflies see all the colors we see, plus ultraviolet light and polarized light; they can detect the
flickering of light at twice the rate that we can

dragonflies catch most prey with their jaws; they can capture larger prey by grabbing it with their
front legs and stuffing it into their jaws

hunting dragonflies can also be classified as either perchers or fliers
… clubtails, skimmers, and damselflies are usually perchers – they find a tall perch with a good
view, like a grass stem or dead week stalk, and sit there scanning for prey (often turning their
heads watching the air traffic); when they find the right size prey within range, they dart out,
grab the prey, and quickly return to the perch to eat
… darners, spiketails, cruisers, and emeralds are usually fliers – on a good flying day (warm, no
rain), they fly for hours, catching insects in midair and swallowing them while continuing on