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Article: Damselfly nightlife has its own traditions.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- July 10, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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From Lewisburg, Pa., at the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society
Damselflies may not have holiday barbecues, but they do have traditional roosting places, according to a new study of their nighttime gathering spots.
The twigs, grass blades, or other perches look like miniature versions of the trees or bridges where flocks of starlings or cowbirds spend the night, note Paul V. Switzer of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and Gregory F. Grether of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
By day, male rubyspot damselflies in California lead a macho life. They defend empires of a square meter or so from intruding males and ...