Data and code from: The aerial combat strategy of dragonflies

Dogfights are aggressive aerial contests between evenly matched
competitors. Male dragonflies engage in such interactions to establish
territorial dominance. Using field stereographic recordings of Trithemis
aurora, we examined dragonfly behavioural objectives during these
encounters. Unlike predatory pursuits, in which intercept trajectories
minimise time-to-contact, male T. aurora steer to keep their opponent
forward and elevated within their frontal field, modulating speed to avoid
direct collision. These contests feature frequent role reversals, with
evenly matched rivals alternating between chaser and evader. The
manoeuvres observed during these exchanges, including looping and
spiralling flight, emerge from the underlying pursuit objectives. During
territorial conflicts, males exhibit exceptional agility with centripetal
accelerations of up to 6 g. Despite this high performance, individuals
spent approximately one-third of flight time gliding in short bursts, even
during close combat. Our findings show that complex aerial contests can
arise from simple pursuit control principles constrained by sensorimotor
limits.