Halloween Pennant Rendezvous
Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina) filled the air at the "rendezvous" (no kidding, that's what it's termed). I tried many times to catch them flying in tandem, but they were too fast for me.
The male (in front, grasping the reed) supports the weight of both dragonflies. He initiates the contact in flight by grasping the female's head with the cerci on the tip of his abdomen. They fly in tandem until finding a suitable stem. Then, (without getting too graphic in description), the male gets the female into the position shown in the picture, called a "wheel" (or some people more fancifully called it the "heart" position, as it is roughly shaped like a heart). The female will lay the eggs in the water a short time later.
The sexual dimorphism (different forms) is apparent in the golden yellow of the female and the reddish orange of the male.
Seen at Pointe Mouillee in Lake Erie, Michigan USA
Halloween Pennant Rendezvous
Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina) filled the air at the "rendezvous" (no kidding, that's what it's termed). I tried many times to catch them flying in tandem, but they were too fast for me.
The male (in front, grasping the reed) supports the weight of both dragonflies. He initiates the contact in flight by grasping the female's head with the cerci on the tip of his abdomen. They fly in tandem until finding a suitable stem. Then, (without getting too graphic in description), the male gets the female into the position shown in the picture, called a "wheel" (or some people more fancifully called it the "heart" position, as it is roughly shaped like a heart). The female will lay the eggs in the water a short time later.
The sexual dimorphism (different forms) is apparent in the golden yellow of the female and the reddish orange of the male.
Seen at Pointe Mouillee in Lake Erie, Michigan USA