Demoiselle ovipositing on nettles? (1 Viewer)

[Hobbes2]

This morning I watched a female Banded Demoiselle seemingly oviposit on Common nettles some 15 metres away from the river. Can anyone explain this please?
Many thanks
Hobbes

 

[harry eales]

I believe what you saw was the Demoiselle cleaning itself, Most insects, Flies, Bees, Wasps etc. The problem with the long tail of the Demoiselle is that little other than wings can reach that far. The coarse hairs on a nettle stem should do quite nicely in removing anything that the insect has picked up.

Harry

 

[Hobbes2]

I believe what you saw was the Demoiselle cleaning itself, Most insects, Flies, Bees, Wasps etc. The problem with the long tail of the Demoiselle is that little other than wings can reach that far. The coarse hairs on a nettle stem should do quite nicely in removing anything that the insect has picked up.

Harry

Thank you very much Harry. That makes perfect sense. I photographed the Demoiselle just afterwards and along with the "usual" appendages at the rear end, there was something else hanging off (see blue arrow on attached image). Perhaps she was trying to remove that, unsuccessfully. No idea what it is?!
Thanks again. Very helpful indeed and made sense of a very bizarre sight!
Hobbes