You can view the Emperor mating HERE.
“In November 2014, I was thrilled by the appearance of Emperor dragonflies (Anax guttatus, family Aeshnidae) as they performed their antics at a local pond. My heart raced with excitement whenever a female arrived onto the scene, as there would be opportunity to witness her ovipositing behaviour if she had already mated.
“Using her blade-like ovipositor, the female may deposit her eggs into a variety of receptacles, including:
…a floating branch (above),
…spongy stems of emergent aquatic vegetation (above),
…and floating aquatic vegetation (above).
“Occasionally, a protective male may be seen to be hovering above and overlooking the female while she is ovipositing (below). In doing so, the male zealously guards the female from being snatched away by another competing male and ensures that he is the sole father of their offspring.
“Video clips of the female depositing her eggs may be viewed here:
“A video clip of the male hovering over the ovipositing female may be viewed here:”
Dr. Leong Tzi Ming
Singapore
11th July 2015
