Notes on the behavior and mechanics of scooping oviposition in Libellula composita (Hagen) (Anisoptera: Libellulidae)

Females were observed ovipositing, both alone and in tandem, in Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The 9 oviposits by scooping water droplets into the air with the tip of her abdomen. This mode of oviposition is common in many Libellulinae, but this is the first report of a 9 using it in tandem as well as in solo oviposition. The 9 L. composita also grips the 6 abdomen with her legs during post-copulatory oviposition flight, a behavior previously reported only in subfamilies Trameinae and Zygonychinae. Possible functional significance of this flight behavior is discussed based on observations and analyses of the mechanics of the oviposition process that are evident in photographs.