Last week I spotted a female Ebony Jewelwing damselfly (Calopteryx maculata) as she was depositing eggs in vegetation at the edge of a small stream in Prince William County, Virginia. Some dragonflies lay their eggs directly in the water by tapping, but damselflies (and some dragonflies) use their ovipositors, the tubular, sharply-pointed appendages at the tips of their abdomens, to make slits and insert eggs into the tissues of the plants.
If you look really closely at the second photo, you can actually see the damselfly’s tiny ovipositor that is shaped a bit like a thorn. The damselfly appeared to arch her entire abdomen, insert the ovipositor into the vegetation, and then forcefully push down on her abdomen to insert the eggs more deeply, as you can see in the first photo. Sometimes she would flap her wings a few times, either for stability, I assume, or possibly for additional leverage.
I noticed that vegetation in which the damselfly is depositing her eggs has an unusual pattern, a broken line that looks like a seam made by a sewing machine. I wonder if that line is the result of the damselfly’s meticulous efforts to deposit her eggs.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Terrific photographs, Mike!
Now you’re going to make me look even closer at vegetation where damsels frequent for similar patterns. If I notice anything significant, I’ll report back.
Thanks, Wally. Sometimes they oviposit underwater, so hopefully you can hold your breath for a long time if you want to look there. 🙂
That was some quick work, Mike. When I see them ovipositing it is a quick dip and dab and onto another spot.
I don’t know all of the technical details, but the dragonflies that do the dip and dab in the water lay lots and lot of eggs and they are actually a different shape than those of species that place the eggs in vegetation with a much higher degree of intentionality. (You may recall when I featured a Swamp Darner depositing eggs in a rotten log). It’s roughly analogous to the “spray and pray” method of taking photos vs a more disciplined approach. 🙂
Very Nice Mike! Great Images!
I love those wings.
The dark wings sure are distinctive, especially when the damselfly flares the wings open.
Great images of the Jewelwing, Mike, and neat to see how this damselfly lays her eggs.