Intraspecific Morphological Variation in the Dragonfly Erythrodiplax Media (Odonata: Libellulidae) Among South American Grassland Physiognomies.

Abstract

We assessed the intraspecific morphological variation in Erythrodiplax media Borror 1942 (Odonata, Libellulidae) among grassland physiognomies ("Coastal," "Highland," and "Steppic") in the South Brazilian Campos. We measured six morphological traits (total body length, thorax height, length, and width of the fore- and hindwings) from 90 specimens (60 males and 45 females). We tested the effect of the grassland type on the set of traits using one-way MANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA) (separately for each sex). Grassland physiognomy affected the morphology of males and females. In both sexes, the PCA mostly opposed the specimens of the Coastal from the Highland and Steppic grasslands. The first PCA axis separated specimens according to body lengths, thorax heights, and wing width, while the second PCA axis opposed specimens according to wing length and thorax height from specimens with broader wings and longer body lengths. Males from the Coastal had longer body lengths and shorter thorax heights than Highland and Steppic grasslands, while males from the Steppic had longer fore- and hindwings than specimens from the Coastal and Highland grasslands. Females from the Coastal had significantly shorter forewings than specimens from the Steppic grasslands and shorter hindwings than Highland grasslands. Our results are likely explained by the differences in climate and habitat complexity among grassland types and indicate that the processes driving odonate performance vary among grassland biotopes. This study potentially indicates that dragonflies are sensitive to changes in the vegetation structure in South American subtropical grasslands.