Three slender skimmers (Orthetrum sabina) flew low simultaneously with their bodies pressed against one another. Soon one of them broke away, flew away. So there were only two dragonflies left, and they perched on the dry twig.
At first, I think they were mating, but my guess was totally wrong! It's a show of cannibalism. Did they just fight? It seems so. One dragonfly bites its opponent's head until it is cut off. It didn't stop but continued to chew the prey's body mercilessly, like eating a delicious sausage.
This is the first time I have seen a dragonfly preying on another dragonfly of the same species. I captured this rare moment using my smartphone camera from different angles.
| Camera | Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC |
|---|---|
| Category | Animal Photography |
| Processed | Adobe Lightroom |
| Location | Lhokseumawe, Aceh, Indonesia |
| - | - |