My Defender!

  Yesterday, I told you about a rather interesting critter friend, the robber fly.  Although, that fly was quite scary looking, it was no threat and actually was a big help to us as it preys upon other bugs.  I was elated to find that it munched on deer flies as they tend to love to munch on us.  While on the pier, I found another beneficial critter.  A blue dasher was resting on the marsh grass as it waited for dinner to pass its way.  Blue dasher dragonflies are ones that wait for dinner to come to them rather than spend the day in search of prey.  Although they are superb fliers, this dragonfly employs the wait and pounce technique.  Most other dragonflies search for prey.

  While watching the blue dasher, I was being viciously attacked by deer flies.  Several dozen of the rascals were flying about my head just waiting to attack.  Anytime we are near the marsh edge, swarms of the biting flies circle our heads.  While I was slapping deer flies, the blue dasher was catching dinner.  Deer flies were on the menu for him!

  Blue dashers are probably the most common of dragonflies.  They can be found near any marsh, pond or creek.  Slow moving water is the perfect nursery for their larvae.  The males are the bright blue dragonflies that most folks see.  The females are much smaller and quite different in appearance.  They are more striped than the males. The male blue dasher will defend his territory from any intruders and defend his ladylove from any interlopers.  It also seems as if they defend me from deer flies!