Damselfly mating

Damselflies are mating again.

Courtship is simple: The male looks for a good egg-laying site and then shows it off to a potential mate. Usually the site is an aquatic weed near the water’s surface, but this particular damselfly male has ineptly chosen a muskrat. Lots of luck with this one, buddy.  

Once a male (blue) finds a female (brown), he grabs the back of her neck with his cerci and seeks a landing spot. Mating takes place in the wheel position.

Female damselflies seem happy to mate with many males and use the fertilization principle: last in, first out—that is, the last sperm deposited is used to fertilize the eggs. So to protect his investment, a male maintains his grip on her neck and accompanies her to an egg-laying spot. Here, she is depositing eggs on an aquatic weed. 

Normally, that is that. However, on a few occasions I have seen him force her head below the water’s surface while she lays. Such a sight is a tad jarring: Is he now drowning her? Actually, no. An insect breathes through openings (spiracles) in its abdomen rather than nostrils on its face. Holding her head underwater presents no more of a breathing problem than it would be for a human with a hand in the water. Note the two potential suiters on the left just awaiting the opportunity to take over.