Скачать или смотреть Sophisticated Damselfly Courtship and Hoverguarding Behaviour (Ebony Jewelwings)

Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) hoverguarding behaviour (rough cut). V6609
Backus Woods, Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.
June 25, 2020.
Please view full screen for best quality. 😉
Ebony Jewelwings demonstrate very sophisticated courtship and ovipositing rituals.
Females line the stream banks to watch males "joust" for their attention. FEMALES pick their partner based on these competitions. That's unusual in the dragonfly-damselfly (Odonate) world.

Typically, the male literally grabs a female by the scruff of her neck and hopes she doesn't hurl. 😉
The reason these jousting sessions are so important to the females is because the male "hoverguards" the female he fertilized, to ensure that HIS eggs are safely laid in the stream, on partially submerged logs, twigs or leaves. She depends on the male's ability to defend her while she lays her eggs.
Ebony Jewelwings (Calopteryx maculata) prefer relatively clear, fast-moving streams. The male sentry chases away any other male that tries to interfere while she's laying her eggs underwater (their nymphs are aquatic).
I've watched and taken stills of hoverguarding behaviour, but this is the first time I've attempted to document this on video. And it's the first time I've seen a male attack a female and stop her from laying eggs.
These beautiful and fascinating creatures never cease to amaze!