Swallowtail Dragonfly

Swallowtails are a common species of dragonfly found throughout the swampy areas of Clarenware Woods and in Estalia near Jesper. They are easily distinguished by their two long tailfins, which give them their name, and by their extreme speed. Typically considered one of the fastest creatures in Wyrring, swallowtails can reach speeds of up to 70 kph. Although not dangerous to humans, they have been rarely known to collide with people by accident, which can cause bruising or scarring. Swallowtails spend all of their time hunting for bugs - both terrestrial and aerial - using their speed and agility in the air to do so. As well, scholars have referred to swallowtails as the "perfect hunter", as estimates have suggested that they have an almost perfect success rate while hunting, as their speed makes them extremely difficult to avoid.   Swallowtails begin their lives as tiny, translucent eggs typically laid tucked into leaves or petals of a plant overlying water. When female swallowtails lay their eggs, they secrete a sticky mucous layer, causing all her eggs to stick to each other in a large blob, as well as hold them in place to the plant. After they hatch, the larvae crawl off the plant they were born on and drop into the water below. They will spend the first couple of months of their lives in these ponds, where they'll hunt for small water insects and grow bigger. When they're old enough, they will come to the edge of the water, molt one more time, and free a fully grown set of wings. After that, they take off, and don't return to the pond until they lay their own eggs.