Predator Perils, By Wing

 The insect world is a busy place of eating and being eaten.

Blue Dasher dragonfly

Dragonflies come by their name from their fearsome maneuvers, not their glittering colors. Their legs form a fatal basket for clutching prey in midair.

Robber Fly with captured Greenbottle Fly

Similarly the robber fly's legs are better adapted to snatching than to walking.

Green Heron with captured dragonfly

Of course even the fast and the fearsome can never let their own guard down.

Eastern Yellowjacket dismembering prey

Generally mild-mannered creatures can become ferocious during a brief period in their lifespan when they need to provide protein to their young.

Bald-faced Hornet on patrol

Blossoms of goldenrod draw nectar-seekers that in turn draw fast-flying hunters.

American Sand Wasp hunting on the wing

The intended victims are fairly well armored against attack by their hard outer shells.

Eastern Phoebe bringing home a meal

Every niche in the chain of life incorporates food for its temporal being and stays alert to its own mortal dangers.