HOW DOES A DRAGONFLY FIND A MATE?

Mating Dragonflies

Male dragonflies depend on their eyesight to find suitable female partners of the same species by observing the female's flight style, patterns, color, and size. The abdomen consists of 10 segments, with the genital opening located on the underside of the eighth and second segment in females and males respectively.

During mating, a male dragonfly grabs the female by the neck (her prothorax) using his anal appendages, called wheel formation.

During mating, the male holds the female's neck (her prothorax) using his anal appendages and the female bends her abdomen forward to receive sperm from the male genitalia situated on the front part of his belly. If you see dragonflies in a tight embrace in wheel formation, know that they are passing on life.