A note from the Kumamoto International Desk of Terrifying Insects (merged with Reasons You Didn’t Want to Live in the Permian Era Desk due to budget cuts): Dragonflies - tonbo (蜻蛉, トンボ) - are an ancient order of insects dating back to the early Permian era, when the larger guys had a wingspan of 750 mm. They are true carnivores from when they are nymphs: yes, their babies catch and eat fish (image below). As adults, they are capable of flying up to 50 KPH. Males establish a territory and patrol it jealously; any number of females may say, “Hey, nice territory!” and commence continuity of the species. And they eat a lot of insects voraciously (see below).
Temperature control is an issue. On cool mornings, you’ll find them warming themselves on sunlit areas; on hot afternoons, you’ll find them cooling in the shade. If you’re patient, you can get one to perch on your finger - pretty amazing when you consider the species predates mammals. They are a symbol of autumn in Japan, and the abundance of water in Kumamoto makes them quite numerous here. Enjoy them, respect them, and be glad you’re not an insect now. - William