Breeding (continued)
Black Threadtails in the copulatory wheel position
Interestingly, before the male inseminates the female, he uses his penis to remove or displace any sperm that may be contained in the female’s sperm-storage organs from previous sexual encounters with other males. This is done to ensure that his sperm has priority, as about 95% of eggs laid immediately after copulation will have been fertilised during the most recent copulation (Brooks, 2003).
To facilitate this, the male of certain species often guards the female while she lays her eggs. This may be done in the tandem position or with the male hovering near the female in order to drive off other intruding males. The photograph of a male Fiery Emperor on this gallery page was taken while he was watching over an ovipositing female (pictured below).
To facilitate this, the male of certain species often guards the female while she lays her eggs. This may be done in the tandem position or with the male hovering near the female in order to drive off other intruding males. The photograph of a male Fiery Emperor on this gallery page was taken while he was watching over an ovipositing female (pictured below).
Female Fiery Emperor ovipositing
Different species employ different egg-laying strategies. Damselflies and dragonflies of the Aeshnidae family use what is known as endophytic oviposition i.e. they lay their eggs inside the stems and leaves of emergent or submerged plants. The female Fiery Emperor is laying eggs in the stems of plants under the surface of the water.
Other dragonflies simply lay their eggs directly into the water
(exophytic oviposition) or onto plants that float on or just under the surface of the water (epiphytic oviposition).
Further reading
Dragonflies by Steve Brooks - published by the Natural History Museum, London in 2003 - is an excellent introduction to the life of dragonflies. The text is supplemented by numerous photographs. (This is in the same series as Butterflies by Dick Vane-Wright.) Steve Brooks also collaborated with the late Philip Corbet on Dragonflies, which was published by HarperCollins as part of the long-running New Naturalist Library in 2008. As with other books in this series (which began with a book on butterflies in 1945) the focus is on the fauna and flora of Britain; there are maps showing the distribution of all the breeding odontates in the UK and Ireland, for example. However, the detailed but readable text on dragonfly habitats, development, behaviour etc. make this an indispensable book for the dragonfly enthusiast.
In Hong Kong, Keith Wilson photographed and wrote Hong Kong Dragonflies in 1995. A smaller bilingual book, Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Hong Kong followed in 2003. The latter was prepared in collaboration with several local members of the Dragonfly Working Group of the AFCD. This group has very recently published The Dragonflies of Hong Kong, which updates and supersedes the 2003 Field Guide - essential for anyone interested in the dragonflies that occur in the HKSAR.
Finally, the Asia Dragonfly website can be found at http://www.asia-dragonfly.net . Among other things, this site contains nearly 8,000 photographs of Asian dragonflies.
In Hong Kong, Keith Wilson photographed and wrote Hong Kong Dragonflies in 1995. A smaller bilingual book, Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Hong Kong followed in 2003. The latter was prepared in collaboration with several local members of the Dragonfly Working Group of the AFCD. This group has very recently published The Dragonflies of Hong Kong, which updates and supersedes the 2003 Field Guide - essential for anyone interested in the dragonflies that occur in the HKSAR.
Finally, the Asia Dragonfly website can be found at http://www.asia-dragonfly.net . Among other things, this site contains nearly 8,000 photographs of Asian dragonflies.