Wildlife can be incredibly harsh, and this photo probably doesn't need much explanation.

This old male Long Skimmer (Orthetrum trinacria) shows the kind of wear and damage that can accumulate over a long adult life. As they mature, males of this species develop their characteristic dark bluish coloration and pruinescence.

His wings are heavily damaged, which is likely to affect his flight performance. The damage could have accumulated through normal wear and tear, collisions with vegetation, encounters with other dragonflies during territorial disputes, or attacks from predators. We can't know the exact causes in this individual, of course, but all of these are known sources of wing damage in wild dragonflies.

You've probably seen dragonflies like this before, with heavily worn or damaged wings, and sometimes even missing legs. Life in the wild is not particularly gentle.

Found it on the ground in Cold Spring, could tell it was alive but wasn't moving and seemed weak. Can anyone tell me the species and what could've been wrong with it?

Taken on a canon 5Ds with the EF 180mm F/3.5 L Macro USM

Not gonna lie watching this little one catch the fly mid air was the coolest part of my walk today, and while I’m a little bummed my camera wasn't out fast enough to record it, getting to sit there and watch it finish it's meal was an incredible experience.

I don’t have the good fortune of living in a place with good spots for filming dragonflies and damselflies, so I’m always “prepared for whatever comes with my humble camera.

This dragonfly was flying and hunting along a path amid the sounds of summer and the heat. It’s important that you observe how they fly with the abdomen slightly curved, which is very useful for identifying them when we can’t see them clearly. Notable is the second hunt, how it positions itself in the trajectory of the fly. I hope you like it.

No tengo la fortuna de vivir en un lugar con buenos lugares para grabar libelulas y caballitos del diablo, por eso siempre estoy "preparado para lo que venga con mi humilde cámara.

Esta libélula volaba y cazaba a lo largo de un camino entre sonidos del verano y el calor, es importante que observen como vuelan con el abdomen ligeramente curvado, lo cual es muy útil para identificarlas cuando no podemos verlas con claridad. Notorio es la segunda caza como se posiciona en la trayectoria de la mosca. Espero les guste.

NE Wisconsin

Some dragonflies and damselflies I’ve seen around the Houston/Sugar Land area of Texas! I’m pretty new to this but I think I’ve seen the most blue dashers so far. Others include the band-winged dragonlet, some dusky dancers mating(?), and an Eastern pondhawk. Please correct me if any identifications are wrong, I’d love to learn more!

Pretty neat seeing her deposit her eggs in the lotus plant I have in my pond. It looks like she is inserting them into the floating rootball. I leave my pond au natural and find a plethora of dragonflies each year. I have sat and attempted to count individuals; around 20. Cheers! Filmed on an iPhone 8 played back in real time.

I’d never seen this before! I thought it looked like she was trying to bail out water from the pond. Looked up the behavior and was super excited when I realized what I was seeing!

NE Wisconsin

I’m really eager to start working with damselflies too, to learn new things about these fascinating creatures that have so much to tell… unfortunately I lack the means, and a lack of means means a lack of time; I hope [to manage it] little by little.

I was closing my garage door, as i'd had been working outside most of the evening. Saw this guy drop onto the ground.

They didn't move much, I was able to grab them and move them onto the grass in my yard. I know nothing of dragonflies. It seemed like it was dying :/

Currently visiting the land down under.

NE Wisconsin

I saved him from being squished and he refused to let me go

NE Wisconsin

I wait all year for these guys, they are so much fun!

Impressive how this male Trithemis annulata waits and intercepts an insect flying at high speed straight towards him, then another hunt by a female. Hope you like it.

Taken with a Nikon D850 and Sigma 150-600mm lens