Where Did My Dragonfly Go?

Question

I found a 4" Common Green Darner Dragonfly in my pool. It was dead, so I skimmed it out and put it on the walkway to bury; however, when I returned it was no longer there...

Do you think it resuscitated and flew away...

Or is it more likely that a bird ate it?

Answer 1

sorry, but if you were sure it was dead then a cat or bird must have taken it.

Answer 2

They are mysterious and magical creatures, sometimes as elusive in death as they are in life. I believe that your intentions were well placed and well received. Be grateful and keep yourself open.  I think you may see that dragonfly again:)

Answer 3

Dragonflys can often be found lying on top of pools. They fly down to skim the top of the water and accidentally get their wings wet and their wings become too heavy to fly again. Hopefully some scantily dressed pool cleaner will come by and rescue them by removing them from the pool. Once the wings dry the dragonfly simply takes off to go look for some new body of water and hopefully a skinny dipper or two before some big mouth bass spots him on a river or lake and thinks "Lunch".

But the answer is that his wings dried. It happens all the time with thin wings flying creatures. Mechanically speaking Dragonflies, Lucusts, and Bumblebees are amazing in the fact that they can fly given their ratio of body mass to wing span. If it were not for the speed they flap their wings they would surely be pedestrians.

Answer 4

I once found a sphinx moth the same way.  I was sure it was dead when I pulled it out of the pool.  I pinned it to a corkboard to dry.  The next day, I walked by and its wings were flapping.  I pulled the pin out, took it outside, and let it fly away.  I don't know how it managed to not drown when it was completely soggy - or survive the pin through its thorax - but it did.  It's possible the dragonfly lived, too.

I've seen some birds eat already dead insects (there used to be Western Kingbirds by my house who would wait on the side of the road until cars struck the hundreds of crossing sulfur butterflies - then go grab them), but most insect-eaters are attracted to the movement of the prey.  It is also possible that a mouse ate it as well.