Fully carnivorous, dragonflies are voracious hunters. In their adult phase their aptitude as hunters makes them a hawk among insects, but their hunting is vastly different in their larval stage. Dragonfly larvae are lie-in-wait predators. With a jaw-like lip that extends to catch their prey, they have no need for pursuing their prey, so they hide and let their prey come to them. In their far less beautiful larval stage, dragonflies are designed for camouflage and are mostly grey and brown (though some are green).
Check out the first 3 minutes of this video to watch a dragonfly larva eat!
Not only are dragonfly larvae less beautiful, but they also breathe through their butt! That's right, their gills are located inside the rear end of their body and they bring water in and out through their butt to breathe. This interesting adaptation allows them to quickly propel themselves short distances using bursts of water blown out their hind end, suggesting that perhaps a better name for this post would be "ferocious farters."
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