When looking at the kill rates of various animals, you might be surprised to learn that a lot of species only manage 20-30% hunting success rates. Even the Cheetah only has a kill rate in the 50s (with other cats in the 30s). The African wild dog has an impressive 85% rating.
But, beating all of these is the beautiful and primordial dragonfly, with an estimated success rate of 95%, arguably making it the most successful predator on the planet.
My wife Angela (a fine artist) was recently gifted a gorgeous iridescent green dragonfly carcass by a friend who found it in her yard. Angela incorporated it into an assemblage box and its presence in our lives has piqued our interest in these fascinating little creatures.
We reached peak nerd-out this morning while watching this excellent video on the biology, flight dynamics, and predatory behaviors of the dragonfly.
Thumbnail: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5.