Coloured Wings Beat Differently

Sexual selection has led to the development of coloured wings in dragonflies and damselflies. Females therefore have the opportunity to evaluate males before mating. Males with coloured wings not only use them for flight, they also send out signals, as in this Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo). This signalling effect has resulted in a completely different way of flapping their wings: in contrast to all dragonflies with clear wings. Demoiselles flap all four wings up and down at the same time during normal straight flight. However, they can also hold all four or two wings still for a moment, or even just one wing. Furthermore, during courtship flight they switch back to a completely different flight style, now high-frequency and out of phase. This diversity of flight has behavioural consequences.