Post by Fat Bob on Sept 15, 2012 23:31:38 GMT
I was blown away reading the following - can you imagine trying to do this after 8 pints of Scruttocks Old Dirigible... Just seems a bit complicated...
Dragonfly Mating
As with many insects, male dragonflies make the first move to initiate sex. When a male spots a female of his own species, he must first subdue her. He'll approach her from behind, usually while they are both in flight, and hold onto her thorax with his legs. If he's feeling feisty, he might bite her, too.
If he hopes to mate successfully, he must get a firmer grip on her quickly. The male dragonfly will pull his abdomen forward and use his anal appendages, a pair of cerci, to clasp her by the neck (her prothorax). Once he has her tightly by the neck, he can extend his body and continue to fly with her, in tandem. This position is known as a 'tandem linkage'.
Now for the acrobatics. Because male dragonflies don't store sperm near their copulatory organ, the male has to transfer sperm (in a package called a 'spermatophore') from a gonopore on his ninth abdominal segment to his penis. This is located on the underside of his second abdominal segment (close to his thorax). Once he's charged his seminal vesicle with sperm, he's ready to go.
The female's genital opening is near the tip of her abdomen. To copulate, the female must now bend her abdomen forward, sometimes with coaxing from the male, to bring her genitalia into contact with his penis. This position is known as a 'wheel formation' because the couple forms a closed circle with their joined bodies. It is is unique to the order Odonata.
In dragonflies, the sex organs lock together briefly (not so for damselflies). Some dragonflies will mate in flight, while others will retire to a nearby perch to consummate their relationship.
Can you imagine Jeremy Jyle screaming at an unemployed tattoed Dragonfly "Why did you have to use the spermatophore!"
Dragonfly Mating
As with many insects, male dragonflies make the first move to initiate sex. When a male spots a female of his own species, he must first subdue her. He'll approach her from behind, usually while they are both in flight, and hold onto her thorax with his legs. If he's feeling feisty, he might bite her, too.
If he hopes to mate successfully, he must get a firmer grip on her quickly. The male dragonfly will pull his abdomen forward and use his anal appendages, a pair of cerci, to clasp her by the neck (her prothorax). Once he has her tightly by the neck, he can extend his body and continue to fly with her, in tandem. This position is known as a 'tandem linkage'.
Now for the acrobatics. Because male dragonflies don't store sperm near their copulatory organ, the male has to transfer sperm (in a package called a 'spermatophore') from a gonopore on his ninth abdominal segment to his penis. This is located on the underside of his second abdominal segment (close to his thorax). Once he's charged his seminal vesicle with sperm, he's ready to go.
The female's genital opening is near the tip of her abdomen. To copulate, the female must now bend her abdomen forward, sometimes with coaxing from the male, to bring her genitalia into contact with his penis. This position is known as a 'wheel formation' because the couple forms a closed circle with their joined bodies. It is is unique to the order Odonata.
In dragonflies, the sex organs lock together briefly (not so for damselflies). Some dragonflies will mate in flight, while others will retire to a nearby perch to consummate their relationship.
Can you imagine Jeremy Jyle screaming at an unemployed tattoed Dragonfly "Why did you have to use the spermatophore!"