It is a simple law of nature that all creatures have to eat and many of my subjects are carnivores. The question of whether a creature is predator or prey is often a relative one—today’s predator can easily become tomorrow’s prey.
I try not to get emotionally involved when I witness one creature feeding on another, but that is not always possible. For me it is somewhat jarring when I see one dragonfly eating another—it feels like cannibalism.
For some reason, most such encounters that I have witnessed have involved Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis). This species is not at that large or powerful, but seems particularly fierce. Some other dragonflies catch their prey and eat while they are flying, their version of “fast food,” so that may be why I don’t see dragonflies consuming other dragonflies very often.
In the first photo, a female Eastern Pondhawk was feasting on a male Calico Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis elisa) that it had just caught. As you can see, the dragonfly holds its prey in its long legs and begins by eating the head.
In the second photo, taken at a different location, another female Eastern Pondhawk was munching on an unidentifiable damselfly. Readers sometimes ask me about the differences between dragonflies and damselflies and this photo gives you a general idea of the relative size and shape of their bodies.
According to a fascinating posting called “What do Dragonflies Eat?” on The Infinite Spider website, “All adult dragonflies are insectivores, which means they eat insects they catch with their spiny hairy legs. The insects are then held in a basket-like device while flying. They particularly delight in mosquitoes (30-100+ per day per dragonfly!) as well as other pesky flight bugs such as flies, butterflies, bees, and even other dragonflies.”
Check out the posting that I referenced in the previous paragraph, if you dare, for details about how dragonflies actually eat. Here is a sneak preview, “The main thing to notice is that they have jaws that work side to side and that are shaped like wicked meat hooks, mandibles that go up and down and maxillae that act like a lower lip and hold food.” Yikes!
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great photos – thanks for the links. I will never see a dragonfly the same way again after viewing the video in the first link. Marvels of engineering… 😎
There are so many things about nature that we know very little about. I am innately curious and I am learning all of the time.
The cycle of life isn’t always pretty. Great photos, Mike.
Thanks, Dan. Nope, it is not always pretty, but that is the way that things work in nature.
I’m a softy, I guess, but I’m not a great fan of watching one creature eat another, but it is a fact of life. And as you say, today’s predator may become tomorrow’s prey. I don’t find those images offensive, though. They do show the Eastern pondhawk in her true nature.
Nice Dragonfly images Mike! I have seen this behavior quite a few times when I was looking for dragonflies to photograph!
Thanks, Reed. It is part of the whole “circle of life” and I suspect that a whole lot more dragonflies feed on other dragonflies than we see.