Spotted darter; Sympetrum depressiusculum
Vertically hanging mating pair
Mating in dragonflies is not gentle. Females venturing near the water are immediately grabbed by a male for mating. He does this by grabbing the female with his abdominal appendages behind the head. Often this is accompanied by a struggle in the air. It is possible that the female does not immediately bring her genital opening to the male’s secondary copulation organ, causing them to remain hanging vertically.
Spotted darter; Sympetrum depressiusculum
Vertically hanging mating pair
Mating in dragonflies is not gentle. Females venturing near the water are immediately grabbed by a male for mating. He does this by grabbing the female with his abdominal appendages behind the head. Often this is accompanied by a struggle in the air. It is possible that the female does not immediately bring her genital opening to the male’s secondary copulation organ, causing them to remain hanging vertically.