The Dragonfly Story at Don’s Place

While I was sitting by the pond watching all the birds come in for a drink, I watched several dragonfly pairs skimming along the surface of the water. I witnessed two types of behavior. Well, three if you count all of the frogs leaping up to try to catch a nice dragonfly meal.

But, back to those dragonfly behaviors – Guarding and Egg Laying.

Guarding

In most dragonfly species, the male will “guard” the female while she is laying eggs. Sometimes he will hover nearby, Hover Guarding, or will clasp and hold a rival, trespassing male, Karate Guarding, to keep him away from the egg-laying female. But, in this case, this male Variegated Meadowhawk is Contact Guarding, staying clasped onto the female while she is laying the eggs.

Egg-Laying

Some female dragonflies have lance-like ovipositors to force eggs into soil, plant parts, or unsuspecting people wading in ponds. Ouch! But, this female Meadowhawk, in the Skimmer family, will just dip her abdomen into the water and wash the eggs onto the surface or onto floating debris in the water.