Dragonfly Revival Help!!!!!!

[YagerManJennsen]

found a dragon fly outside barely moving legs and wings. The legs are curled in towards his head. I dripped some water over his mouth area. Anything else I can do? !!!

 

[Tenevanica]

I don't think there really is, especially when you don't know what's causing the problem. He may just be dying of old age, as dragonflies don't live that long.

That reminds me of something that happened a few summers ago. I was at a Rockies baseball game, and there was a massive Blue-Eyed-Darner (Aeshna multicolor) that landed on my hat. It stayed their the whole game, and I thought I was just getting incredibly lucky with a "tame" dragonfly. As it turns out however, the dragonfly landed on my hat, and just died. I've got a pic:

 

[YagerManJennsen]

I don't think there really is, especially when you don't know what's causing the problem. He may just be dying of old age, as dragonflies don't live that long.

That's a possibility but I still want to try and revive it in case that's not what's is happening.

 

[Tenevanica]

That's a possibility but I still want to try and revive it in case that's not what's is happening.

ICU for dragonflies?

 

[YagerManJennsen]

ICU for dragonflies?

I hope so, the abdomen or whatever you call it on a dragonfly is pulsing in and out like its breathing.

 

[billrogers]

If it won't drink there isn't much you can do imo. I had an injured one a year or two ago that would eat houseflies if I put them in front of its face.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

IT might just be hungry and starving to death?

 

[Tenevanica]

I hope so, the abdomen or whatever you call it on a dragonfly is pulsing in and out like its breathing.

The "Tail" of the dragonfly is the abdomen. Do you mean the thorax? Insects breath through spiracles, not lungs, so the "breathing" you're seeing is likely some other process. I'd have to see a video to know exactly what. The good news is that that means it's alive.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Ok I'll try to upload a video. How do you know if it's drinking? As I'm typing this, it curled it tail up to its head and put it back down.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

 

[Tenevanica]

You've stumped me there... You'll see contractions like that in the thorax of most insects, and it could be anything from digestive processes, to forcing air over its spiracles. I haven't seen or leanred anything about that type of movement in the abdomen of a dragonfly. Because its tails is curling up though, it's probably dehydrated. You could try feeding it or giving it more water.

Also, your signature fits perfectly in this situation.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

You've stumped me there... You'll see contractions like that in the thorax of most insects, and it could be anything from digestive processes, to forcing air over its spiracles. I haven't seen or leanred anything about that type of movement in the abdomen of a dragonfly. Because its tails is curling up though, it's probably dehydrated. You could try feeding it or giving it more water.

Thank you, should I keep it on its back. Right now I have it laying wings side up on a wet paper towel.

 

[Tenevanica]

Thank you, should I keep it on its back. Right now I have it laying wings side up on a wet paper towel.

You could try to right it, though I don't know if there's any advantage to that.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Still giving it water, it slightly lifted itself up and twitched its wings a little.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Update: the wings were twitching rapidly like it was trying to take off but didn't have enough energy.

 

[Toxoderidae]

I'd just let nature take its course. Dragonflies and butterflies naturally die around this time, when I go to my local creek I watch them land on the beach, drink their last drink of salt/water and die right there.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

I'd just let nature take its course. Dragonflies and butterflies naturally die around this time, when I go to my local creek I watch them land on the beach, drink their last drink of salt/water and die right there.

Nice I'm still at school, I'm going to give it to our school police officer to take car of while I'm in fourth period. I missed my government class for this dragonfly hopefully it makes it, if not then I skipped class for nothing.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Does dying usually take this long for a dragonfly?

 

[Jacob Ma]

It could also be from parasitic larvae of flies, wasps, and other parasites. I found a big green darner in the front of my house once and it was only just crawling. I brought into the house to prepare it for pinning after being dried, and next thing you know there is a maggot of some sort devouring the darner's abdomen.

 

[Tenevanica]

It could also be from parasitic larvae of flies, wasps, and other parasites. I found a big green darner in the front of my house once and it was only just crawling. I brought into the house to prepare it for pinning after being dried, and next thing you know there is a maggot of some sort devouring the darner's abdomen.

Interesting. I find dead and dying darners all the time, and I've pinned them with no problems. (Or surprises!)