Life Cycle 2

Section One | Two

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) Mating

This shot shows the female abdomen (far-right) receiving sperm from the male (in shot)

This shot shows how the female is held by the male with clasper around the neck

These two photographs illustrate how mating takes place.  It's not the most graceful of poses! They will stay in this pose, depending on the species, seconds to minutes to hours. Sometimes coupling takes place on the wing and is a temporary union between male and female.  The Four spotted Chaser is a good example of brief liaisons adn the only time you will witness coupling in the kind of detail in these two photographs is when they inadvertantly crash in to vegetation.

Once mated, eggs will be laid in plants, on plants or simply scattered on the water.  This act is species specific but does ensure species survival. Those laid in plants are done so with an ovipositor . This is a very fine, needle-like, tube at the tip of the abdomen of the female.  She can insert eggs in to suitable plants with great precision. Eggs may be eaten by fish or snails if simply scttered or laid in an indiscrimatory manner so the advantage of laying in plant material can be seen straight away. Those scattered on to the surface of the water sink an become entangled in plant material owing to their sticky outer membrane.

Eggs may hatch within 1-3 weeks according to species and temperature.  Alternatively, and similar to other species of insects, hatching can be delayed and enter a resting stage called diapause.

Most of a dragonfly's life is spent in a larval stage.  This can range from weeks to years as in the case of the larger species in the Northern Hemisphere where temperature and food availability directly affects development.