Some dragonflies will mate in flight, while others will retire to a nearby perch to consummate their relationship. Antartica is the only continent not inhabited by dragonflies. They can flap each wing up and down, and rotate their wings forward and back on an axis. Female dragonflies use an extreme tactic to get rid of unwanted suitors: they drop out the sky and then pretend to be dead.

The dragonflies mate while flying in the air. They belong to the scientific order Odonata, which means toothed, referring to the dragonflies' toothed jaws. To mate, the male first grabs a female by the back of her neck with claspers at the end of his abdomen — these structures actually fit into species-specific grooves in the female.

They do not only mate with one female partner during their lifespan.

Dragonflies can move straight up or down, fly backward, stop and hover, and make hairpin turns—at full speed or in slow motion. Adult dragonflies live near healthy bodies of water, such as streams, lakes, ponds and waterfalls.

Male dragonflies are … A dragonfly can fly forward at a speed of 100 body lengths per second (up to 30 miles per hour). Competition Among Male Dragonflies .

If given the opportunity, a female dragonfly might mate with multiple partners, but the sperm from her final sexual partner will fertilize her eggs, in most cases.

Dragonflies are able to move each of their four wings independently.

Dragonflies can reach speeds of up to 35 miles an hour and fly just as gracefully backward by lifting off vertically, helicopter style.