Editing Dragonfly (section)

===Behaviour===
[[File:Small pincertail (Onychogomphus forcipatus) male Bulgaria.jpg|thumb|''[[Onychogomphus forcipatus]]'' male in Bulgaria]]
Many dragonflies, particularly males, are [[Territory (animal)|territorial]]. Some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups. A particular perch may give a dragonfly a good view over an insect-rich feeding ground; males of many species such as the [[blue dasher|''Pachydiplax longipennis'']] (blue dasher) jostle other dragonflies to maintain the right to alight there.{{sfn|Berger|2004|pp=32–34}} Defending a breeding territory is common among male dragonflies, especially in species that congregate around ponds. The territory contains desirable features such as a sunlit stretch of shallow water, a special plant species, or the preferred [[Substrate (biology)|substrate]] for egg-laying. The territory may be small or large, depending on its quality, the time of day, and the number of competitors, and may be held for a few minutes or several hours. Dragonflies including [[black saddlebags|''Tramea lacerata'']] (black saddlebags) may notice landmarks that assist in defining the boundaries of the territory. Landmarks may reduce the costs of territory establishment, or might serve as a spatial reference.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lojewski |first1=Jeffrey A. |last2=Switzer |first2=Paul V. |title=The role of landmarks in territory maintenance by the black saddlebags dragonfly, Tramea lacerata |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-014-1847-z |journal=Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology |date=1 March 2015 |volume=69 |issue=3 |pages=347–355 |doi=10.1007/s00265-014-1847-z |bibcode=2015BEcoS..69..347L |s2cid=17617885 |issn=1432-0762}}</ref> Some dragonflies signal ownership with striking colours on the face, abdomen, legs, or wings. The [[common whitetail|''Plathemis lydia'']] (common whitetail) dashes towards an intruder holding its white abdomen aloft like a flag. Other dragonflies engage in aerial dogfights or high-speed chases. A female must mate with the territory holder before laying her eggs.{{sfn|Berger|2004|pp=32–34}} There is also [[Sexual conflict|conflict]] between the males and females. Females may sometimes be harassed by males to the extent that it affects their normal activities including foraging and in some dimorphic species females have evolved multiple forms with some forms appearing deceptively like males.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fincke |first=Ola M. |title=Polymorphic signals of harassed female odonates and the males that learn them support a novel frequency-dependent model |journal=Animal Behaviour |year=2004 |volume=67 |issue=5 |pages=833–845 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.04.017 |s2cid=15705194 }}</ref> In some species females have evolved behavioural responses such as feigning death to escape the attention of males.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Khelifa |first=Rassim |title=Faking death to avoid male coercion: Extreme sexual conflict resolution in a dragonfly |journal=Ecology |year=2017 |volume=98 |issue=6 |pages=1724–1726 |doi=10.1002/ecy.1781 |pmid=28436995|bibcode=2017Ecol...98.1724K |s2cid=42601970 }}</ref> Similarly, selection of habitat by adult dragonflies is not random, and terrestrial habitat patches may be held for up to 3 months. A species tightly linked to its birth site utilises a foraging area that is several orders of magnitude larger than the birth site.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dolný|first1=Aleš |last2=Harabiš |first2=Filip |last3=Mižičová |first3=Hana |date=2014-07-09 |title=Home Range, Movement, and Distribution Patterns of the Threatened Dragonfly Sympetrum depressiusculum (Odonata: Libellulidae): A Thousand Times Greater Territory to Protect? |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=e100408 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0100408 |pmid=25006671 |pmc=4090123 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j0408D |issn=1932-6203|doi-access=free }}</ref>