Highland Drop-Wing
Trithemis dorsalis
Observed in a garden near ponds and stream at Naiberi River Camp, Eldoret, Kenya, October 2010.
Dragonflies lead a double life. The first life is an aquatic insect hunting beneath the water and concealed by growth or fallen leaves. There they consume aquatic invertebrates or even small fish. Eventually they emerge from the water, shed their exoskeleton once more, and reveal their gossamer wings. Now they become masters of airborne predation taking especially small flies including mosquitoes. People should appreciate these marvels!