Bkmrk.
“In fact, if the Meganeura, or giant dragonflies, of prehistory were still around...”
they would be physically incapable of flight under the current atmospheric conditions, so they wouldn’t be very dangerous at all, actually.
I, for one, welcome our new overlords.
This one was on my clothesline. They will give you a nasty bite as I discovered many years ago.
Preying Mantis. That’s my bug of bugs. Next to Bugs Bunny, of course.
Very interesting article at the link. Thanks for posting it. I always knew they were cool looking bugs. I had no idea how complex and cool they really are.
If they weren't Earthlings, they'd make great aliens! Hehehe. d;^)
I only know (aside from the fact they’re beautiful to watch) that I read once that they can give a painful swelling bite, so I’ve never tried to catch one. As if anyone could, anyway.
I have never seen a dragon fly. But then I have never seen a real dragon either.
When I was in junior-high school, I tried (unsuccessfully) to catch some with a butterfly net, for an insect collection.
Per the article, they can see behind them.
Per the article, they’re also very maneuverable.
I determined subsequently, however, that they cannot dodge pellets from .22 “birdshot” cartridges, and that at a distance of ten feet or so, the birdshot kills them but still leaves a presentable specimen for the insect collection.
An insect killing machine that’s brutal times ten, you say? Definitely my kind of bug!
Um, since they mostly eat mosquitos and flies, I’m all for their ability to do so!!!
Um, since they mostly eat mosquitos and flies, I’m all for their ability to do so!!!
Dragon Flys Matter
“In fact, if the Meganeura, or giant dragonflies, of prehistory were still around...”
You would need a certain radioactive lizard to clean up the infestation.
PFL
Among the large cats, cheetah is the only pure pursuit predator.
The rest make do with a combination of ambush and short-duration pursuit, or plain ambush.
I’ve seen a domestic cat (plain barnyard variety shorthair) leap straight up six feet and snatch a dragonfly out of the air.
The cat did not wind up for the move - minimal crouch, briefest lineup. The dragonfly wasn’t obviously engaged in a search or chase - just flying straight and level, here to there.
The author didn’t do badly, in insectological research. But he out of his depth on the tracking and interception of aerial targets.
The problem is indeed more complex than striking a target on the ground, from another point on the ground, but humans have been doing it for over a century - at first, with only the slimmest knowledge of flying and the most rudimentary aiming aids. Human intervention was taken out of the loop and the job was handed over to electronic brains in the 1950s ... though “brains” is too powerful a description for the simple sensors and homing circuits put into missiles at that time.
Onboard processing power has improved since then, but the rules for doing the job haven’t changed much. They haven’t had to.