“…and today we’re talking about a Tom Sawyer bug. But more on that later.”
Some guys just can’t take the hint. For Moorland Hawker Dragonfly females, this can be a bit more than a simple inconvenience. When the suitors come knocking, this lady doesn’t just dodge the drama—she takes it to a whole new level. Think of her as the aerial equivalent of a swooning Victorian damsel, only with less corset and more cunning. She’s here to remind us that sometimes the best way to deal with life’s pests is to play possum and pray they buzz off, like the Moorland Hawker Dragonfly here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
Description
Appearance: Males have a black abdomen with paired blue and yellow spots, while females have a brown abdomen with yellow, green, or blue spots. Both sexes feature a yellow costa (leading wing vein).
Identification: Lacks the green thorax stripes of the Southern Hawker, making it identifiable among similar species.
Measure Up
Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com.
Dragon Flyz [1996] S1 E1 | Dragon Dawn
Length of the Moorland Hawker Dragonfly
The Moorland Hawker Dragonfly has a body length of 74 mm (2.9 inches).
Which of these objects fits with the Moorland Hawker Dragonflies object’s length?
A) 7 go into the height of a Haniwa figure
B) 9 go into the length of a wakizashi blade
C) 4 go into the diameter of a standard adult’s geta sandal
a) The height of a Haniwa figure
Haniwa are ancient Japanese terracotta figures from the Kofun period (3rd–6th century), often placed on burial mounds. A typical Haniwa warrior figure stands about 50 cm (500 mm) tall.
b) The length of a wakizashi blade
A wakizashi is a traditional Japanese short sword, a companion to the katana, with a blade length typically between 30–60 cm. Using an average of 45 cm (450 mm)
c) The diameter of a geta sandal
Geta are traditional Japanese wooden sandals with an elevated platform. A standard adult geta might have a length (or diameter across its base) of about 24 cm (240 mm).
Wingspan of the Moorland Hawker Dragonfly
The Moorland Hawker Dragonfly has a wingspan of 95 mm (3.7 inches).
How many Moorland Hawker Dragonflies fit into each object’s wingspan or equivalent dimension?
A) 5 go into the width of a sensu folding fan
B) 2 go into the height of a Daruma doll
C) 4 go into the length of a shakuhachi flute
a) The width of a sensu folding fan
A sensu is a traditional Japanese folding fan, often used in tea ceremonies or dance. When fully opened, a typical sensu spans about 30 cm (300 mm) wide.
b) The height of a Daruma doll
A Daruma doll is a round, hollow Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, symbolizing perseverance. A standard medium-sized Daruma is about 15 cm (150 mm) tall, which we’ll use as a comparable span.
c) The length of a shakuhachi flute
The shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese bamboo flute, historically played by Zen monks. Its standard length is 54.5 cm (545 mm), known as “1 shaku 8 sun” in traditional units.
Fast Facts
Here are some fast facts about the Moorland Hawker Dragonfly (Aeshna juncea), also known as the Common Hawker or Sedge Darner:
- Flight Period: Active from June to early October, peaking in late summer.
- Habitat: Prefers moorland pools, lakes, and acidic boggy waters, often in uplands of northern and western regions, though it can also appear in garden ponds.
- Range: Found across the Palearctic (Ireland to Japan) and northern North America.
- Behavior: A fast, agile flier, it hunts insect prey mid-air, capable of hovering and even flying backwards.
- Life Cycle: Larvae develop in water for 2–4 years, shedding their skin multiple times before emerging as adults.
Diet: Adults feed on flying insects; larvae prey on small aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, and even tiny fish.
Major Fact – Drop Dead Gorgeous
- Female Moorland Hawkers have perfected the art of faking death to dodge overeager males, plummeting from the sky like a melodramatic meteorite.
- When a male gets too clingy post-mating, she’ll freeze mid-flight, nosedive, and crash-land, lying still as a rock until he takes the hint.
- This “sexual death feigning” solves the problem of aggressive suitors.
- It’s a high-stakes move—crashing at speed risks injury, but it beats having to get HR involved.
- Studies show over 60% of females who pull this stunt successfully escape, leaving males buzzing around like confused exes at a bar.
- Unlike other dragonflies where males play bodyguard, Moorland Hawker dudes ditch after mating, leaving her to fend off the swarm solo.
- She’ll often retreat to dense vegetation to lay eggs, but if a male spots her exiting, it’s showtime—cue the dramatic flop.
- This trick might’ve evolved from predator-avoidance instincts, repurposed to deter pushy paramours.
- It’s rare in nature—only a handful of critters, like certain spiders and mantises, use death-faking to dodge romantic entanglements.
- The result is she gets to pick her mate, lay her eggs in peace, and avoid the dragonfly equivalent of a bad Tinder date.
Ending: So spread all four of your wings, keep an eye out for creeps, and pretend to kick the bucket whenever those creeps come around like the moorland hawker dragonfly.