Name: How a dragonfly's brain is designed to kill
Uploaded: 2018-06-11T16:08:17Z
Duration: 5 min 4 s
Description: Dragonflies can catch prey with near perfect accuracy, the best among all predators. But how does something with so few neurons achieve such prowess? Our intrepid neuroscientists explore how a dragonfly unerringly locks onto its preys and captures it within milliseconds using just sensors and a fake fly.

Dragonflies can catch prey with near perfect accuracy, the best among all predators. But how does something with so few neurons achieve such prowess? Our intrepid neuroscientists explore how a dragonfly unerringly locks onto its preys and captures it within milliseconds using just sensors and a fake fly.

Greg Gage: How a dragonfly's brain is designed to kill

How a dragonfly's brain is designed to kill

Dragonflies, with a 97% hunting success rate, owe their precision to specialized brains, 360-degree vision, and wing control.

Neurons connecting dragonfly eyes to wings enable them to track prey with astonishing accuracy, a process called 'fixation'.

Dragonflies discern prey size, preferring smaller targets, a strategy that ensures their remarkable success as predators.