Species: Plathemis lydia

Males defend small territories and raise their abdomens aggressively in flight when clashing with other males. Females oviposit in flight, tapping the tips of their abdomens to the water's surface to release the eggs. Males often hover hearby during oviposition (Nikula et al., 2003). Adults mature after an average of two weeks, after which they return to bodies of water to breed. Males are aggressive, often stealing females from other males. Mating is quick, occurring as the pair hovers over the water, usually no longer than three seconds. Males will often attempt to guard more than one female as they lay some 1,000 eggs, by tapping the tip of the abdomen to the water in regular intervals (Abbott, 2007).