Alternative Mating Tactics in a Tropical Damselfly

Damselflies and dragonflies (known collectively as odonates) are well known for their variety of strategies and tactics for finding mates. In some species, males go to a likely spot and sit and wait for females to come along, while in other species males patrol up and down a stream actively searching for females. Sitand-wait species are often territorial, while patrolling species are involved in more of a scramble competition. Within territorial species there are males that are able to hold territories and thereby attract females, while other males, usually smaller, can only gain matings by sneaking onto the territories of other males. Once mating has taken place, the pair typically travels in tandem, the male guarding the female while she fertilizes and lays her eggs one by one (Figure 1).