Great Blue Skimmers are dragonflies known to enjoy dark and murky water. Their colors can range depending on their gender and age, from yellow, brown, to a striking blue. You can spot them over shallow, wooded pools, ponds, swamps, and ditches. At the Houston Arboretum, one was spotted munching on a honey bee for supper.
Erin Vance of Houston Arboretum writes:
“It is easy to forget about small carnivores, especially those in the insect world. Dragonflies, as well as their larva, are strictly meat-eaters. Adults use a unique hunting strategy which is most comparable to the way a claw machine works (except way more effective). They make a basket shape with their legs and swoop down to cage their prey as they bite it to keep it still– a terrifying concept at their scale.”
