About Hagenius brevistylus Selys, 1854
The dragonhunter, Hagenius brevistylus, is a clubtail dragonfly native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is significantly larger than any other North American clubtail, reaching 3.3 inches (84 mm) in length. It has black and yellow markings and green eyes. Males can be identified from a distance by their behavior of curling their abdomens under while flying, creating a sideways J shape. Hagenius brevistylus is the only species in the genus Hagenius. Its closest living relatives are Asian dragonflies from the genus Sieboldius, which are also sometimes called dragonhunters. These two genera together make up the subfamily Hageniinae. The nymph of this species is unusual, with a very flat, wide body. It moves slowly and lives among bark and leaf litter along stream edges, where its dark coloration provides camouflage. Adult dragonhunters feed on large insects, including darner and clubtail dragonflies, and often ambush their prey from above. They also feed on monarch butterflies, and eat the thorax and abdomen first to avoid the highest concentration of cardenolide toxins.
