Dragonfly Revival Help!!!!!!

[YagerManJennsen]

Update time! I took the dragonfly to the biology teacher at school. We observed it under a stereoscope. He said there wasnt anything we could do for it so I put outside under a bush.

 

[Draketeeth]

I have heard that a little bit of honey on the end of a toothpick can be fed to an ailing preying mantis to help revive it. Something in the properties of natural honey does them wonders. If you had been able, I wonder if something similar works for dragonflies.

 

[BobBarley]

I have heard that a little bit of honey on the end of a toothpick can be fed to an ailing preying mantis to help revive it. Something in the properties of natural honey does them wonders. If you had been able, I wonder if something similar works for dragonflies.

When I had a Pasimachus beetle arrive almost completely unresponsive, I was able to revive it with some sugary water. It has made a full recovery and is now fine! Next time you see something like that dragonfly, you could try either honey or sugary water.

 

[Ranitomeya]

Dragonflies require a lot of oxygen due to their high metabolic rate and activity and you'll be able to see them actively pumping air with their abdomens.

That dragonfly is definitely dying, there's nothing you can do to revive it. They're usually not long-lived because they run out of energy reserves. They eat a lot to fuel themselves and their near-constant flight, but their activity rate ultimately surpasses their ability to obtain and store nutrients. They are significantly lighter once they near the end of their lifespan since their fat reserves just run out and they are simply unable to eat enough to keep up with their use of energy without it.

 

[Jacob Ma]

Unfortunately, dragonflies will only accept insect foods and not sugar or other plant-based foods. I have tried this before with both damselflies that I have raised and dragonflies and they will not go near it. You can try force feeding it some soft-bodied insects, but that dragonfly will not last much longer. Once a dragonfly is grounded (not landed), about 99.9% of the time it will not get up to fly again. Like @Ranitomeya said, their metabolism rate is so high that even if it were starving or disease-ridden its inability to get food will dramatically lower its oxygen intake & circulation, especially if it hasn't eaten in so long. Dragonflies are one of the most primitive species of insect, which those very first flying species required much more oxygen than the species of today to process internal bodily functions, so these insects cannot simply handle this much of their metabolism lost and energy lost.

This is the same with many other species including hummingbirds, mayflies, shrews, filter-feeding crustaceans (zooplankton), honeybees, and seahorses. One thing these animals all have in common are that their adult lives are very short-lived compared to other similar species.

 

[YagerManJennsen]

Thank you all!!

 

[Tenevanica]

Dragonflies require a lot of oxygen due to their high metabolic rate and activity and you'll be able to see them actively pumping air with their abdomens.

That dragonfly is definitely dying, there's nothing you can do to revive it. They're usually not long-lived because they run out of energy reserves. They eat a lot to fuel themselves and their near-constant flight, but their activity rate ultimately surpasses their ability to obtain and store nutrients. They are significantly lighter once they near the end of their lifespan since their fat reserves just run out and they are simply unable to eat enough to keep up with their use of energy without it.

So that motion was the pumping of air? I've seen similar in other insects, but I've never actually observed the same in dragonflies.

Also, it appears you're new here. May I ask what your Entomology background is? I love meeting people who share the same interests as I do! I'm currently an undergrad majoring in biology. I'd love to get a PhD in Entomology at some point, however.

 

[Ranitomeya]

So that motion was the pumping of air? I've seen similar in other insects, but I've never actually observed the same in dragonflies.

Also, it appears you're new here. May I ask what your Entomology background is? I love meeting people who share the same interests as I do! I'm currently an undergrad majoring in biology. I'd love to get a PhD in Entomology at some point, however.

Yes, the motion is meant to forcefully pump air to the muscles where oxygen is needed. Many insects have a similar pumping motion, but it's usually barely noticeable and infrequent due to considerably lower metabolic rates and oxygen needs.

I've been here a while, lurking away. I majored in zoology, not entomology, but it is one of my favorite topics. Animals interest me only slightly more than plants, and amongst the animals, invertebrates are so varied that it's impossible not to be captivated by them; there's always something new to learn with invertebrates since they're everywhere and so frequently overlooked.

 

[bugmankeith]

I had this happen, I defrosted frozen bloodworms I had and it ate them and flew away after.

 

[darkness975]

The abdominal movements in that video resemble a snake in the way the entire length of it moves.

 

[Bawbagimus]

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? !!!

The fact you took your time to even try save just a insect while many people would have instant killed it just shows how good humanity can be

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

The fact you took your time to even try save just a insect while many people would have instant killed it just shows how good humanity can be

Yep greetings from 2016!! Why do people squash bugs so cruelty ?? I saw my sister crush a harmless garage spider..