Sex in the park

Warning. As they say in the movies: mature theme, graphic scenes.

Dragonflies abound in the marsh at Grohman Narrows Provincial Park: many species, many individuals. All seem to have one thing on their minds: procreation. Out of all that activity, one species is featured here: the Striped Meadowhawk. (Others will appear in a subsequent posting).

Dragonflies (and damselflies) mate in the wheel position. The male grasps the back of the female’s head using claspers at the tip of his abdomen. She swings the tip of her abdomen up below him to receive sperm. After mating, they revert to the tandem position whereby he continues to hold her head and accompany her as she flies around dropping eggs.

A male Striped Meadowhawk poses for a portrait on a dried leaf. It is named for the white stripes on its thorax.

Those white stripes are more evident in this profile view. It is easier to find and photograph solitary males than solitary females. The males hang around the water’s edge waiting for females. As soon as a female appears, a male approaches her and copulation begins.

Striped Meadowhawks are copulating on the grass. They are in the wheel position. The male (red) is holding onto the grass with his legs and holding onto the female (brownish) by the back of her head with his claspers. She is holding his abdomen with her legs, and has swung her abdomen up under him to receive his sperm.

From behind, one can see the male’s claspers holding the female’s head.

These Striped Meadowhawks are copulating in midair. This was a rather difficult picture to take as they didn’t hang in one spot, but drifted around rapidly during their rather vigorous activity.

The same couple is now flying in the tandem position while she drops the fertilized eggs on the ground. The eggs are visible at the tip of her abdomen.