Table 1.

Observations made (ordered approximately chronologically) and measurements derived from high-speed video recordings of semi-tethered mosquito interactions.

Behaviour		Definition and measurement
Approach and contact direction		The approach and contact direction of the male relative to the tethered female’s body position (frontal, rear, or lateral).
Male hovering		A binary measure indicating whether the male hovered in front of the female before intercepting her (Video S1).
Male interception point		The time at which the male made physical contact with the female, typically initiated by a characteristic tarsal grab (Video S1). Used as a reference point for the beginning of the interaction proper, from which other events are defined.
Female kicking		Any kicking, flicking, or thrusting performed by the female with the use of her legs (Video S3). The timing of each kick event was recorded.
Kick period		Time between first and last kick
Kick rate		The number of kicks/kick period
Male frontally positioned		The time at which the male oriented in the dorsal plane of the female (Video S2).
Male secured tarsal hold		The time at which male obtained sustained and controlled tarsal contact with female (Video S2).
Male ventrally aligned		The time at which the pair adopted the “venter-to-venter” position11,18,21, whereby the male achieves an elevated position beneath the female, holding both her mid- and hind-tarsi with his fore- and mid-legs (Video S2, Video S4).
Flight intervals		The start and end time of any interval of flight intermittency by the male or female whilst in contact with one another.
Interaction end		The time at which contact was broken between male and female.
Outcome	Copula (n = 41)	An interaction in which genital contact between male and female was achieved (regardless of successful insemination, Video S4).
	Active rejection (n = 142)	An interaction that did not result in genital contact and which was terminated by female kicking activity leading to displacement of the male (Video S3). Males in these interactions always received at least one kick.
	Passive rejection (n = 77)	An interaction that did not result in genital contact and which was terminated by the male breaking contact with the female, usually after a period of sustained female non-flight (Video S5). These interactions may proceed through all pre-copulatory behavioural stages, but were terminated with the male “grossly misaligned”21.
	Male accepted (n = 5)	An interaction that was terminated at the ventral alignment stage, but that did not result in genital contact.
	No contact (n = 17)	An interaction in which the male approached but made insufficient contact with the female to initiate further positioning.