The ace pilot of the garden sky. An insect that has been flying for 300 million years. The dragonfly has a robust body, enormous compound eyes that provide nearly 360-degree vision, and two pairs of independent wings. It is an aerodynamic masterpiece. It can hover, fly backwards, change direction instantly and reach speeds that leave other insects in the dust. It is a hunter of supreme confidence, catching prey in mid-air with a success rate that rivals a falcon. A flying machine that has not needed an upgrade in 300 million years. The larval stage, known as a nymph or naiad, is equally formidable but far less glamorous. Living underwater for up to five years, it is a muddy, prehistoric-looking creature that lurks in the silt. Like the damselfly, it possesses an extendable jaw-mask to snatch tadpoles and small fish, but it is generally larger and more robust. Some larger dragonfly nymphs have even been known to tackle small fish or frogs. It is a slow-growing, patient ambush predator that eventually climbs out of the water to undergo a miraculous transformation. When the adult emerges, it leaves behind its old skin clinging to a reed, a ghost of its former self. The new dragonfly pumps fluid into its wings to expand them, waits for them to harden, and then takes to the air. They are territorial and aggressive, often chasing intruders out of their patch with relentless determination. To watch a dragonfly hunt is to witness pure aerial dominance. The pond is still. The dragonfly hovers, wings a blur, then shoots forward, catches a midge in mid-air, and returns to its perch. It does not know it is a masterpiece. It does not know it has been flying for 300 million years. It just wants to eat.