Dragonflies have learned to mimic the death to avoid a date.
If you ever run away from a date, you will see dragonflies. Females of these flying insects use extreme measures to get rid of unwanted fans: “they are tearing down heaven” and pretending to be dead.
Rassim Khelifa of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, first saw this behavior at the swamp dragonflies of the family beam (Aeshna juncea). He watched as the female falls to the ground when it pursues the male, and remains immovable, while the fan is not going away.
Khalifa was very surprised because never seen in the ten years that he devoted to the study of dragonflies.
Currently, little is known of the world of insects, whose females use similar tactics. A variation of this behavior was observed in spiders, flies and mantids.
Apparently female Aeshna juncea are frequently harassed when they lay eggs because they have no partners-advocates. A single contact is sufficient to fertilize the whole clutch, so the second “Dating” can harm the females.
At such times, dragonflies are hidden in the dense vegetation along the banks of ponds, and in the event of a potential “groom” falsificarea own demise.
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