Dragonflies Fly Like Fighter Pilots, New Study Finds

Male dragonflies defend territories through dogfights that follow simple, vision-based rules aimed at staying behind rivals, a behavior strikingly similar to human fighter pilots; researchers used stereo high-speed cameras to reconstruct 3D flight paths and found prey-hunting trajectories differ from territorial battles, with dogfights featuring more complex maneuvers, up to 6 G turns, and frequent gliding. The study suggests frontally biased vision drives these tactics and points to vision-guided drones as a potential application.