Be warned! It's a dangerous world out there for a dragonfly!
Let's picture Skimmy, the Globe Skimmer dragonfly we've adopted as our expedition's mascot. Incredible as he is with his compound eyes and remarkable migratory distances, he is nowhere near the top of the food web. Let's imagine his travel takes him over a stream. In flight, he is vulnerable on all fronts. He could be snatched from below by a fish who's been following his flight under water, waiting for him to dip closer to the surface. He could also be grabbed by a bird who has both a size and speed advantage over him. And if he lands on a reed to take a well-deserved rest, he could become lunch for a frog or lizard, each of whom can jump quite the distance to catch their prey. Not to mention the nearly microscopic danger from parasites like the water mite that will literally suck the blood from a dragonfly's wing veins. (Has anyone else never before considered that a dragonfly's paper-thin wings had veins?!)
It is no wonder dragonflies and their smaller cousins, the damselflies, have adapted to avoid predation. For example, females tend to be shades of green and brown that camouflage with local flora. Agility may sometimes be just the edge a dragonfly needs to escape a bigger, faster bird. And lastly, large dragonflies have strong mandibles and can bite back! We don't know how often this works with natural predators, but enough unsuspecting humans have experienced their painful bite when holding them in their hand that it shouldn't be overlooked.
Reference: Dragons & Damselflies: A Natural History by Dennis Paulson
