DRAGONFLIES ARE SLUTS

Shock value aside, dragonflies are sluts.  When a dragonfly mates, the male grabs the female behind the head on an area called the thorax.  He will fly around with her until he gets bored or the female decides to tip her abdomen up to receive his sperm.  Once the act has occurred, the male will release the female to lay the fertilized eggs.  He will guard her.  Not because he is emotionally attached to her, but because he wants to make sure she lays the eggs he fertilized rather than go mate again.  He isn’t guarding her against predators, but other lovers.  Female dragonflies are so promiscuous that there are entire groups of dragonflies where the males have specialized scoops to remove the sperm from her previous mate.  It makes those lovely dragonfly tramp stamps even more entertaining huh?

Dragonflies lay their eggs in water or on leaves overhanging water.  They hatch and take up residence in the stream or pond as naids.  Really, they look like something out of a science fiction movie.  They have a mask-like structure that snaps forward and impales prey on spikes.  Their wings haven’t formed yet and look like little back pack nubbins.  Their gills are in their anal cavity. 

These little predators use camouflage to hide so they can ambush their prey.  They can also move rapidly through the water by bringing water into their anal cavity and then forcibly expelling it.  This sends them through the water like a jet pack.  The name of this unusual method of locomotion is anal propulsion.  Who says scientists aren’t funny… anal propulsion.