Post-copulatory behaviour in the dragonfly Sympetrum parvulum Bartenef (Anisoptera: Libellulidae)

According to their social status, the 3 3 are divided into 2 categories: territory holders (territorial 3 3) and non-territory holders (wandering 33). The duration of copulation was longer in wandering (461.5±347.8 s, n = 46) than in territorial pairs (201.3±149.8 s, n = 85). Oviposition modes are 3-fold: viz. (1) single, with non-contact guarding (territorial pairs: 115.1±75.5 s, n = 27; wandering pairs: 133.9±45.5 s, n = 14); — (2) tandem oviposition (territorial pairs: 214.6±76.6 s, n = 5; wandering pairs: 141.0±76.2 s, n = 7); — and (3) tandem oviposition + non-contact guarding (NCGO) (territorial pairs: 131.6±93.8 s, n = 5; wandering pairs: 157.5±72.8 s, n=2). The first type was most common in territorial (75%) and in wandering pairs (62.1 %). The second type was in wandering pairs (24.1 %) twice as frequent as in territorial pairs (10.4%). The third mode was infrequent (territorial pairs: 14.6%, wandering pairs: 13.8%). The relationships between 3 social status and the interference of territorial 3 (J on one hand, and the duration of copulation and the oviposition mode on the other, are discussed. The effects of vegetation and air temperature on the oviposition mode are briefly outlined.