Question: why does the empoer dragon fly have such a long body?

Emperor Dragonfly answered on 3 Nov 2017:

This question is related to the question that somebody asked about how the emperor dragonfly reproduces. One use for that long tail, in males where it is tipped with a set of claws, is to hold onto his mate – many dragonflies mate in the air and the male then hangs onto the female while she is laying her eggs, defending her from predators (and other males!). Some species even help their mates to go below the surface of the pond so that she can lay her eggs safe in a water plant stem.