Page 26 - Design in Nature

24 DESIGN IN NATURE

Metamorphosis of the Dragonfly
Female dragonflies do not mate again after fertilisation. However, this
does not create any problem for the males of the Calopteryx Virgo species.
By using the hooks on its tail, the male captures the female by the neck (1).
The female wraps her legs around the tail
1 of the male. The male, by using special
extensions on its tail (2), cleans any
possible sperm left from another male.
Then, he injects his sperm into the female's
reproductive cavity. Since this process
takes hours, they sometimes fly in this
clenched position. The dragonfly leaves
the mature eggs in the shallows of a lake or
a pool (3). Once the nymph hatches from
the egg, it lives in water for three to four
years (4). During this time, it also feeds in
water (5). For this reason, it was created
with a body capable of swimming fast
enough to catch a fish and jaws powerful
enough to dismember a prey. As the
nymph grows, the skin wrapping its body
tightens. It sheds this skin at four different
times. When it is time for the final change,
it leaves the water and starts climbing a
tall plant or a rock (6). It climbs until its
legs give in. Then, it secures itself by help
of clamps at the tips of its feet. One slip
and a fall means death at that point.

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