Kissing

This was the image that i wanted to share, as it is a behaviour that I have never seen before, taken in late summer 2020. It is two demoiselle, laying eggs, but they then touched mouthparts, like a kiss. Given that these insects are ferocious hunters of smaller insects I found this highly unusual and would have to hear your theories about what was going on. Anthropomorphisms all accepted; like I said, I think they are kissing in companionship. But I am a big softie, really.

Well this is how it all started, with the mating of the Common Blue Jewel, named after the male (as is so often the way for wild animals).

So, you should know that all damselflies have scythe-like ovipositors and inject their eggs into plant stems or leaves, rotten wood or mud on or close to the surface of the water. ...

Here you can see it quite clearly on the left.

How do i know they are demoiselle/damselflies? well, adult damselflies have thinner, more delicate bodies than those of dragonflies; when at rest, most damselflies hold their wings together above the body. Most dragonflies hold their wings horizontally; and lastly, and the easiest tell, the eyes of dragonflies are larger, and touch each other

Here a male.

Here a close up of a female, but why is she dipping her rear end in the water?

Usually, it means they are laying eggs, as their nymphs are aquatic.

Dragonflies experience incomplete metamorphosis: so what does that mean?

Insects who go through simple (or incomplete) metamorphosis have three life stages. These insects start as eggs, which are usually very small. When the egg hatches, a larva or nymph comes out. Nymphs are just baby insects. Most of the time, the nymph looks similar to the adult, but it is smaller, may have different colouration, and does not have wings. The nymph grows through stages called instars, shedding its 'skin' (epicuticle) at each stage (ecdysis). Finally, it changes into a mature adult with wings.

Some insect nymphs are aquatic, which means they live in water. These nymphs usually have gills and look very different from the adults they will turn into.

Nymphs that live in water are called naiads.