Many dragonflies are able to evade males by playing dead, but what are their methods of fake death? Researchers from Khelifa Biological Station in South Africa observed female dragonflies diving to the ground while being chased by males, but soon came to realize that the ploy is a smart one. Dragonflies can use color and movement to hide from males and are not immune to being captured mid-flight by hovering males.
According to a study in Ecology, female dragonflies have the ability to fake death to avoid male suitors. Researchers studied a moorland hawker dragonfly pair, and observed that the male chased the female, who then lay motionless on her back. The male then flew off and remained motionless for several minutes. The researchers were able to observe the behavior of the moorland hawker dragonfly in a natural setting for the first time, and found that female dragonflies were able to avoid the males that chased them.
During mating season, female dragonflies often try to impersonate a death to avoid the males pursuing them. According to Khelifa, 77 percent of these attempts result in the male flying off to pursue another female. But female dragonflies can be very aggressive and can even cause injury to other animals during mating. This is the reason why dragonflies use a fake death routine. It is important for female dragonflies to avoid being spied by males.