Slow-motion analysis of female refusal behaviour in dragonflies

Often, females could escape simply by flying faster than males. Due to the morphological preconditions, there were differences in the two suborders.

In Anisoptera, several behavioural specialities were analysed: (a) females of Aeshna cyanea , which oviposit solitarily and endophytically, clung to the substrate with great force when being pulled away by attacking males. (b) Anax imperator females showed a very fast, characteristic bending of the abdomen causing sudden U-turns for escape. (c) Solitary Libellula quadrimaculata females flew loops to escape pursuing males or to shake them off.