I was really happy that I was able to track this Swamp Darner dragonfly (Epiaeschna heros) after it zoomed by me yesterday afternoon at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. When I finally caught up to it, the large dragonfly was hanging vertically, high in a tree among the leaves, leisurely munching on its bee lunch in the shade.
Yes, I recognize that bees play an important role as pollinators and highlighted that in yesterday’s posting. Bees, however, also serve as a food source for other creatures higher up on the food chain—they are all part of the circle of life.
Swamp Darners are among the largest dragonflies in our area, about 3.4 inches (86 mm) in length. I really like the description that Kevin Munroe provided of Swamp Darners on the wonderful Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website. “I often tell people on dragonfly walks that if they see a rhino with wings, it’s a swamp darner. Slight exaggeration, perhaps, but they are pretty impressive. June is their month and the best time to see them, as they cruise, slow and purposefully, over shallow, swampy pools, or hunt high over nearby meadows.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful photograph!
Thanks, Suzette.
Nice Mike! Always fun to see your dragonfly images!
Thanks, Reed. I usually see Swamp Darners zooming by overhead, catching and consuming insects on the fly. It was nice that one perched for me.
One might imagine that this bee would rather not have ended as a bee lunch, even for such a lovely dragonfly as this Swamp Darner! Hopefully the poor bee had accomplished his/her life’s work before bee-coming lunch. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
So true. It is interesting, though, that we tend to feel less sympathy for the fate of other creatures that we don’t find as pretty, cute, or useful. Most folks, for example, don’t have such sympathy for the fish that are plucked out of the water by ospreys and bald eagles. Nature can be rough, but all creatures have to eat.
It is hotter than blue blazes here, but now you have me wanting to go to the Nature Center and try to see one of these in person! Wonder if they eat the stinger or spit it out?!?
Hmm. I have seen the remainders after a dragonfly has consumed a damselfly and the only thing left was the wings. As for the stinger, it’s hard to tell. 🙂
At least it appears to be a bumblebee and not one of our threatened honeys. There are a few insects that gobble bees. This ambush bug for instance, second down…hopefully I haven’t shared this with you once already. Sadly this is a honey bee. I’ve not seen a swamp darner but have come across a shadow darner.
Maybe it’s a carpenter bee, which tend to be loved even less than bumblebees. You ambush bug is one of the craziest-looking insects that I have ever seen. I have seen Swamp Darners a number of times, but to the best of my recollection have seen a Shadow Darner only once and surprisingly managed to get a couple of photos of it in flight with my 150-600mm zoom lens. https://michaelqpowell.com/2015/09/22/shadow-darner/
I have yet to even attempt a dragonfly in flight shot so am impressed. I know they can’t turn their head but that second shot gives the impression of a head turn. Also it’s my favorite angle for looking at insects even though there is loss of sharpness due to that angle.
I admit that you have to be a little obsessed to even try to photograph a dragonfly in flight, so the fact that I try to do so at least a few times each season probably says something about me. 🙂
Yikes. It’s already tough being a bee, now this 😏
A doubly good catch, Mike. It looks like the darner has lost a part of the right fork at the end of its tail. I doubt that it would cause any disability, though, and the sight of this successful hunt supports that.
Thanks, Gary. I noted too the damage, but don’t know to what extent that affects the dragonfly’s functioning.