Dragonfly

Dragonflies are powerful predators that eat other flying insects while they are in flight. Although they are perhaps most recognized for their capacity to capture mosquitoes, they can consume a wide range of other insects. One of their preferred prey items is monarch butterflies. One dragonfly may consume a whole monarch since they are so large. They are simple to catch because of their unsteady and slow flight. Additionally, they frequently pause to rest on plants, which gives the dragonfly a chance to approach them silently while they are not paying attention.

It’s not clear why monarchs often stop and rest on milkweed plants. Possibly it has something to do with the toxins in their bodies. But whatever the reason, if you see a monarch resting on a milkweed plant in mid-summer, there’s a good chance there will be a dragonfly sitting nearby watching it. Another well-known predator of butterflies is the dragonfly. It shares the latter's reputation for having wings. The dragonfly, as opposed to the butterfly, has a hindwing that is larger than its forewing.

However, due of its wider wingspan than the butterfly, the dragonfly flies better. Given that it has a 95% death rate, it can efficiently prey on insects that are oblivious of its presence. The carnivorous dragonfly can eat an insect that is only half its size. The dragonfly frequently starts eating by biting its prey's head. It knocks the bug out of its mind and drags it by the legs back to its nest. The butterfly's wings are next torn off by the dragonfly, who then starts to eat its head.