Commentary

The mechanics of Dragonfly mating is illuminating, it plausibly fills an evolutionary niche.

More primitive insects reproduce without direct genital contact, a sperm package is dropped by the male and picked up
by the female - fertilisation without genital contact!

The dragon works on a system of indirect genital contact, it works like this:-

-Simple Drogonfly structure:

----------------- (head)
----------- (Thorax & wings)
------------------(S1)
------------------(S2) Secondary genitalia, penis, sperm storage
------------------(S3)
------------------(S4)
------------------(S5)
------------------(S6)
------------------(S7)
------------------(S8)
------------------(S9) primary genitalia
------------------(S10)
---------------appendages

In comon with most male insects sperm is produced at S9, prior to mating the male must charge his secondary genitalia with sperm by curving his abdomen downward & foreward to connect his primary genitalia to his secondary genitalia.

Now prepared the male patrols his beat awaiting a suitable female to approach, on recognition the male will fly onto the females abdomen and sieze her behind her head with his abdominal claspers. Linked thus in tandem the male has another opportunity to charge to charge his secondary genitalia. The receptive 'collared' female will curve her abdomen down and foreward connecting with the males secondaty genitalia. The distinctive heart shape so formed is typical of copulation. Copulation may also take place on nearby vegitation. During copulation the male penis (secondary genitals) can remove sperm already within the the female from previous matings. This asists male paternity, as does post coital male guarding of females ovipositing, frequently still in tandem.

The point to note is that genital contact is only indirect, at no stage is there direct primary genital contact.
In this respect, RR Askew point out, that Dragons differ from almost all other flying insects.

Extra Links: Dragons > Life cycle | Commentary