The newly emerged adult dragonfly is soft, pale, and reproductively immature. After the w.... mate femal

The reproductive period begins when a sexually mature adult dragonfly flies to the mating rendezvous, usually the margin of a body of water where the eggs will be laid. When a male adult approaches or enters a territory occupied by another individual of the same species, the occupant acts aggressively, and an aerial agility contest often ensues; thus, territories are held by the most vigorous males. If a female adult approaches or enters a territory, the resident male tries to mate with her. In some species mating is preceded by a courtship display during which the female accepts or rejects the male, who tries to guide her to an egg-laying site in his territory. Instead, the male is mainly occupied with using his accessory sex organs to displace sperm that may have been deposited in the female by previous mates. Such guarding is extremely important to the male, as the one that mates last with the female is the one whose sperm first fertilizes the eggs laid during the next da! y or so. Species without an ovipositor dip the abdomen in water (sometimes while in flight) and wash the eggs off or stick them onto leaves of plants close to the water's surface. mate femal