[Odonata-l] Involuntary Mating

[Paul Brunelle]

Hello All;
	Thanks to those who responded to the Lestes ovipositing question.
	Another interesting thing that I saw for the first time this year  
was an involuntary (on the female's part) mating.
	I had always assumed that while the male might grasp a female, she  
alone decided whether to mate by bending her abdomen forward and up  
to engage his secondary genitalia. I have many times seen a male with  
a female in tow but hanging vertically zooming around apparently  
waiting for her to engage - particularly in Aeshna.
	I was observing some Nannothemis bella in July and saw a male  
capture an ovipositing female and land on an emergent plant - the  
female hung straight down and apparently refused to engage. The male  
flew several times to other perches without persuading her. Finally  
he flew a few inches up from the water surface and flipped the both  
of them (I think forward), till at the end of the third flip she was  
engaged in cop. This was the kind of flip I often see after dunking,  
and which I had heard was done to force water droplets into the mouth.
	My distinct impression was that this female was taken into cop  
against her will.
	Anyone else seen this?
	Regards,
	Paul
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Paul M. Brunelle, BDes, FGDC
4 Hilltop Terrace, Dartmouth, NS, Canada, B2Y 3T1
(about 45°N) 902-423-1845
Fellow of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
Research Associate, New Brunswick Museum
Regional Coordinator, Atlantic Dragonfly Inventory Program
Coordinator, Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey
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