Why are odonates especially vulnerable to predators during emergence?

During emergence, odonates are particularly vulnerable to predators such as birds, spiders, amphibians, and reptiles.1

This vulnerability occurs because the insect is in a transitional state: it has recently climbed out of the water to molt and disclose its adult form, leaving it temporarily soft, pale, and reproductively immature. Because the newly emerged adult must wait for its wings to straighten and its body to harden before it can effectively fly away and evade predators, it remains exposed and unable to utilize its typical defensive agility during this critical period.12