August - the battle of two predators 2

Praying or European mantis (Mantis religiosa) is the most common mantid on the salt marsh. As the name suggests, it is an introduced species that came to the US in the late 1800s. It is still popular for "pest control", a notion totally opposed to the non-specialized nature of the mantid hunting, in which both pests and beneficial insects are captured and consumed. Case in point is this photo, where European mantis has eaten several Seaside dragonlets, a very beneficial dragonfly.

Although Seaside dragonlets are fierce predators in their own right tirelessly patrolling the marsh for flies, mosquitoes, and other small flying insects, they are no match for the fearsome pincers of a large praying mantis female.

Parasitoids - the truely tiny

 Parasitoids, or insect consuming other insect but in moderation (usually just one) are frequently overlooked due to their small size, like a flying spec of dust. These tiny wasps search for eggs or small insects as a food source for their larvae.

End of July - The battle of two predators 1

Seaside dragonlet is among the most beautiful insects on the salt marsh. It is also among its deadliest. As an immature, which is called naiad for dragonflies, it is the top invertebrate predator in the potholes and on the mudflats, a hunter of other creatures.

   As an adult, seaside dragonlet eats whatever it can catch, mostly flies - mosquitoes, midges, syrphids and similar. But, the marsh surface is also a home to another deadly creature, the spider. Spiders are mostly generalist predators and take whatever comes their way, which usually means the most abundant insects at the moment. This year it's been dragonflies buzzing around in enormous swarms. Sadly, many ended up in the spider nets protruding from the salt marsh vegetation...