We have taken video footage of a female dragonfly ovipositing her eggs in our waterlily troughs again.
What is drangonfly ovipositing?
- once mating has occurred the female dragonfly or damselfly finds a suitable place to lay eggs
- the female lands on a waterlily leaf or flower and pushes her tail or ovipositor down into the water
- here she holds on to the waterlily leaf with her front limbs while her tail pulses and extends as she lays (or oviposits) her eggs
- you can see her beating her wings to keep herself balanced.
- Her wings must not touch the water.
She can use a waterlily leaf, a waterlily flower or the stems and runners of a rafting plant like Mentha aquatica Myosotis scorpioides Oenanthe javanica Flamingo or Veronica beccabunga. She will use any plant growth close to the water surface as long as she can cling to it or rest on it.
To read about the other stages of a dragonfly life cycle please see our Tips and Advice - Pond plants for dragonflies and damselflies.
Watch the fascinating video of dragonfly ovipositing below: