Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) are aquatic insects that spend most of their life as larvae that live in water; this stage of their life cycle can last from a few months to a few years, depending upon the species. Finally, they emerge from the water and metamorphose into adults in order to reproduce; their offspring return to the water and the cycle begins again.
A mating pair of Slaty Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula incesta) was spotted at Painted Turtle Pond, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge (OBNWR), Prince William County, Virginia USA. This pair is “in wheel”: the male is on the upper-left; the female on the lower-right.
18 JUN 2016 | OBNWR | Slaty Skimmer (mating pair, “in wheel“)
All dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back: male dragonfly secondary genitalia, called hamules, are located in segments two and three (S2 and S3); female genitalia in segment eight (S8). Dragonflies form the mating wheel in order for their genitalia to connect during copulation.
Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: adult female, adult male, Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), hamules, in wheel, Libellula incesta, mating pair, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Painted Turtle Pond, Slaty Skimmer dragonfly
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