Damselfly Species Research Articles

Odonata of the Kruger National Park

The number of species of dragonflies and damselflies recorded in the Kruger National, South Africa, was 103 in April 2018. This figure was based on a database containing 2,817 records of Odonata, made since 1980, from the 52 quarter degree grid cells which intersect with the Kruger National Park. Records were available for 41 of the 52 grid cells. The most frequently recorded species were Red-veined Dropwing Trithemis arteriosa (167 records) and the Orange-veined Dropwing Trithemis kirbyi (144 records), both recorded in 33 grid cells, and Southern Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta (175 records) and Broad Scarlet (141 records) both in 29 grid cells. Based on records up to April 2018, the median date of the most recent record for species was September 2017, so that half of the 103 species had been recorded during summer 2017/18. This report could be used to motivate the proclamation of the river and wetland systems of the Kruger National Park as a “Wetland of International Importance” in terms of the Ramsar Convention. Two-thirds of the Odonata of South Africa, and one-eighth of the Odonata of Africa, have been recorded in the Kruger National Park.

Estimating distribution area in six Argia damselflies (Insecta: Odonata: Coenagrionidae) including A. garrisoni, a threatened species

Damselflies and dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) are currently facing a number of threats. One tool to provide a straightforward assessment of risk is distribution area. Here we have used ecological niche modeling to estimate distribution range for 6 species of Argia damselflies distributed in North America: A. cuprea , A. funcki , A. garrisoni , A. harknessi , A. munda , and A. rhoadsi . These species are not included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, except for A. garrisoni which has been categorized as Least Concern. Our results indicated large distribution areas for all species, except for A. garrisoni, (8,038 km 2 after a refinement analysis looking for suitable habitat). Large distribution can be explained by similar niche properties shared by all study species. This is not the case for A. garrisoni whose situation seems worrying. This species was found in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi in 1999 and there have been no further observations so it deserves further inspection to see whether populations are at risk. In the meantime, and according to the IUCN criteria, A. garrisoni should be placed under a vulnerable category.

Description of a new species of Nososticta Hagen (Odonata: Platycnemididae: Disparoneurinae) from Central Nicobar Islands, India.

A new damselfly species, Nososticta nancowra Rajeshkumar sp. nov. is described based on eight males and three females from Central Nicobar Islands, India. The diagnostic characteristics of the new species separating it from congeners are discussed. Morphological variations observed in the anal appendages of males and the pronotum of females are documented. A description of the new species using photographs and drawings is given. An identification key to species of the genus Nososticta occurring in Nicobar Islands is given for both sexes.

Some mitochondrial genes perform better for damselfly phylogenetics: species‐ and population‐level analyses of four complete mitogenomes of Euphaea sibling species

AbstractAnimal mitochondrial genes continue to provide an efficient and inexpensive assessment of genetic diversity. However, which mitochondrial genes should be selected to best estimate species phylogeny and population genealogy remains uncertain for most under‐sampled taxa. We analysed four complete mitochondrial genomes of sibling species of Euphaea damselflies, E. decorata, E. ornata, E. formosa and E. yayeyamana (Insecta, Odonata, Euphaeidae), to examine the patterns of selection and to evaluate the phylogenetic utility of the mitochondrial genes compared with nuclear genes. The results indicated that mitochondrial protein‐coding nad2 (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2) and noncoding A + T‐rich (control region) genes have the highest mutation rates and more phylogenetic utility [higher parsimony‐informative sites; higher α (the shape parameter of gamma distribution); lower rates of heterogeneity among sites; and higher relative substitution rates] than all the other mitochondrial and nuclear genes analysed. In contrast, the animal DNA barcoding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) had average values for all estimated parameters of phylogenetic performance and was sometimes outperformed by other mitochondrial genes. The majority of the mitochondrial and nuclear genes in Euphaea damselflies have experienced frequent purifying selection, except for two cases of potential positive selection in NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 (nad3) and elongation factor 1α (EF1α), and all mitochondrial genes had experienced stronger purifying selection than nuclear genes. Our findings indicated that mitochondrial nad2 and the A + T‐rich region should be selected to provide efficient and high‐resolution phylogenetic markers for damselflies at the species and population level.

Regional variations in occupancy frequency distribution patterns between odonate assemblages in Fennoscandia

AbstractOdonate (damselfly and dragonfly) species richness and species occupancy frequency distributions (SOFDs) were analyzed in relation to geographical location in standing waters (lakes and ponds) in Fennoscandia, from southern Sweden to central Finland. In total, 46 dragonfly and damselfly species were recorded from 292 waterbodies. Species richness decreased to the north and increased with waterbody area in central Finland, but not in southern Finland or in Sweden. Species occupancy ranged from 1 up to 209 lakes and ponds. Over 50% of the species occurred in <10% of the waterbodies, although this proportion decreased to the north. In the southern lakes and ponds, none of the species occurred in all lakes, whereas in the north, many species were present in all of the studied waterbodies. The dispersal ability of the species did not explain the observed species occupancy frequencies, but generalist species with a large geographical range occurred in a higher percentage of the waterbodies. At Fennoscandia scale, we found that the unimodal satellite pattern was predominant. However, at smaller scale, we found geographical variations in odonate speciesSOFDpatterns. The most southern communities followed the unimodal satellite‐dominant pattern, whereas in other regions, communities fitted best with the bimodal core–satellite patterns. It seems that the richer species pool in the southern locations, and the larger distribution range of the northern species, skewed the unimodal pattern into a bimodal satellite‐dominant pattern.

Transcriptome profiling with focus on potential key genes for wing development and evolution in Megaloprepus caerulatus, the damselfly species with the world's largest wings.

The evolution, development and coloration of insect wings remains a puzzling subject in evolutionary research. In basal flying insects such as Odonata, genomic research regarding bauplan evolution is still rare. Here we focus on the world’s largest odonate species—the “forest giant” Megaloprepus caerulatus, to explore its potential for looking deeper into the development and evolution of wings. A recently discovered cryptic species complex in this genus previously considered monotypic is characterized by morphological differences in wing shape and color patterns. As a first step toward understanding wing pattern divergence and pathways involved in adaptation and speciation at the genomic level, we present a transcriptome profiling of M. caerulatus using RNA-Seq and compare these data with two other odonate species. The de novo transcriptome assembly consists of 61,560 high quality transcripts and is approximately 93% complete. For almost 75% of the identified transcripts a possible function could be assigned: 48,104 transcripts had a hit to an InterPro protein family or domain, and 28,653 were mapped to a Gene Ontology term. In particular, we focused on genes related to wing development and coloration. The comparison with two other species revealed larva-specific genes and a conserved ‘core’ set of over 8,000 genes forming orthologous clusters with Ischnura elegans and Ladona fulva. This transcriptome may provide a first point of reference for future research in odonates addressing questions surrounding the evolution of wing development, wing coloration and their role in speciation.

Biogeographic evaluation of the dragonflies and damselflies in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula

Insects are one of the most diverse groups of animals in terrestrial ecosystems, and are thus a good model system to study macrogeographic patterns in species’ distributions. Here we perform a biogeographical analysis of the dragonflies and damselflies in the Valencian Country (Eastern Iberian Peninsula). We also compare the species present in this territory with those in the adjacent territories of Catalonia and Aragon, and with those present in the whole Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, we update the list of species of dragonflies and damselflies in the Valencian territory (65 species), and discuss the current status of two of them: Macromia splendens and Lindenia tetraphylla. Our results highlight that the Valencian Country has a higher proportion of Ethiopian elements but a lower proportion of Eurosiberian elements than Catalonia and Aragon. We also emphasize the importance of volunteer work in providing new knowledge on this group of iconic insects, and the relevance of museum collections in preserving them. The role of climate change in the distribution of Odonata is also discussed.

A highly diverse coenagrionoid damselfly group (Odonata: Zygoptera: Burmacoenagrionidae fam. nov.) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

The damselfly superfamily Coenagrionoidea is the largest zygopteran group, comprising three-fifths of all extant damselfly species. The Mesozoic fossil record of this superfamily is sparse, whilst it is relatively common in Burmese amber. A new coenagrionoid family, Burmacoenagrionidae Zheng et al., fam. nov., is established here based on four new species in three new genera: Burmacoenagrion pretiosus Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov., Burmachistigma cheni Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov., Electrocoenagrion elongatum Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov. and Electrocoenagrion forficatum Zheng et al. gen. et sp. nov. The previously described damselfly genus, Burmagrion Möstel et al., 2017, is transferred to this family. Burmacoenagrionidae Zheng et al. fam. nov. has a long pterostigma covering 3–5 cells, pigmented wings and a sigmoidally curved RA and RP1 distal of the pterostigma, differing from other coenagrionoid damselflies. Until now, this is the most diverse damselfly family reported from Burmese amber, showing that the Coenagrionoidea were already highly diversified 100 million years ago.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DAB9700E-2F21-4BC7-97A0-41569DA4898A

Strong differences between two congeneric species in sensitivity to pesticides in a warming world

To predict the impact of pesticides in a warming world we need to know how species differ in the interaction pathways between pesticides and warming. Trait-based approaches have been successful in identifying the ‘pace of life’ and body size as predictors of sensitivity to pesticides among distantly related species. However, it remains to be tested whether these traits allow predicting differences in sensitivity to pesticides between closely related species, and in the strength of the interaction pathways between pesticides and warming. We tested the effects of multiple pulses of chlorpyrifos (allowing accumulation) under warming on key life history traits, heat tolerance (CTmax) and physiology of two congeneric damselfly species: the fast-paced (fast growth and development, high metabolic rate), small Ischnura pumilio and the slow-paced, large I. elegans. Chlorpyrifos reduced survival and growth, but contrary to current trait-based predictions I. pumilio was 8× less sensitive than I. elegans. The lower sensitivity of I. pumilio could be explained by a higher fat content, and higher activities of acetylcholinesterase and of detoxifying and anti-oxidant enzymes. While for I. pumilio the effect of chlorpyrifos was small and did not depend on temperature, for I. elegans the impact was higher at 20°C compared to 24°C. This matches the higher pesticide accumulation in the water after multiple pulses at 20°C than at 24°C. The expected reduction in heat tolerance after pesticide exposure was present in I. elegans but not in I. pumilio. Our results demonstrate that closely related species can have very different sensitivities to a pesticide resulting in species-specific support for the “toxicant-induced climate change sensitivity” and the “climate-induced toxicant sensitivity” interaction pathways. Our results highlight that trait-based approaches can be strengthened by integrating physiological traits.

The Rate of Seasonal Changes in Temperature Alters Acclimation of Performance under Climate Change.

How the ability to acclimate will impact individual performance and ecological interactions under climate change remains poorly understood. Theory predicts that the benefit an organism can gain from acclimating depends on the rate at which temperatures change relative to the time it takes to induce beneficial acclimation. Here, we present a conceptual model showing how slower seasonal changes under climate change can alter species' relative performance when they differ in acclimation rate and magnitude. To test predictions from theory, we performed a microcosm experiment where we reared a mid- and a high-latitude damselfly species alone or together under the rapid seasonality currently experienced at 62°N and the slower seasonality predicted for this latitude under climate change and measured larval growth and survival. To separate acclimation effects from fixed thermal responses, we simulated growth trajectories based on species' growth rates at constant temperatures and quantified how much and how fast species needed to acclimate to match the observed growth trajectories. Consistent with our predictions, the results showed that the midlatitude species had a greater capacity for acclimation than the high-latitude species. Furthermore, since acclimation occurred at a slower rate than seasonal temperature changes, the midlatitude species had a small growth advantage over the high-latitude species under the current seasonality but a greater growth advantage under the slower seasonality predicted for this latitude under climate change. In addition, the two species did not differ in survival under the current seasonality, but the midlatitude species had higher survival under the predicted climate change scenario, possibly because rates of cannibalism were lower when smaller heterospecifics were present. These findings highlight the need to incorporate acclimation rates in ecological models.

Dragonfly (Odonata) Species Diversity in Different Land Use Patterns of Lowland Tropical Wet Zone, Colombo District of Sri Lanka

Many species of Odonates inhabiting in agro-ecosystems, play a crucial role in controlling pest populations and can be considered as a pollution indicator. Damselflies are important bio-control agents especially in the control of mosquito larvae. Individual Odonata species have a wide range of environmental tolerances, and are good indicators of ecosystem health, particularly for wetlands. Odonata are also known to be highly responsive to ecosystem conditions in relation to broad-scale factors such as climate and urbanization. Huge knowledge gap displays in ecology of Odonata species and this preliminary study would provide a considerable knowledge on formulating conservation strategies and ecosystem services of dragonflies. The ecological survey examined the Dragonfly & Damselfly (Odonata) species diversity and habitat preference in different land use types at low country wet zone of Colombo district, Sri Lanka. Five (05) main land use patterns were selected as sub-urban land set up at Waga Area: a natural forest (Indikada Mukalana), a rubber plantation, a paddy field as an agricultural land use; Urban land setup: The Open university premises (OUSL) at Nawala,Colombo and “Diyatha Uyana” Battaramulla. The ecological survey was carried out with layout of belt transect (100m×2.5 ) adjacent (5-15 m distance) to selected water ways in each different sampling areas of different land use patterns which adapting purposive random sampling technique. Visual observations will be carried out adapting internationally accepted techniques for sampling of flying insects to identify and quantify of Dragonflies. Dragonfly and damselfly species specific parameters were recorded in selected sampling sites.Total number of 26 Odonata species including 09 endemics was recorded in all land using patterns all land use patterns. Species diversity (richness and abundance) measured within study sites using Shannon wiener index indicated that the paddy field (2.185), rubber plantation (1.885), natural forest (0.9507), OUSL along polluted Wellawatte canal (0.6745) and Diyatha Uyana (0.619) respectively. The number of dragonfly species and abundance is remarkably higher in urban sites while number of damselfly is higher in sub-urban paddy field and rubber plantation. Neurothemis tulia and Rhyothemis variegata species were recorded at all study sites except natural forest. Brachythemis contaminata is the most abundant species which is only recorded in urban sites. A considerable species diversity and variation of Odonata species among study sites were recognized. As a conclusive remark, further studies on find limiting factors for diversity, distribution and abundance of dragonfly & damselfly species is recommended. Keywords: Dragonfly diversity, Different land uses, Lowland wet zone, Colombo

Mechanical and tactile incompatibilities cause reproductive isolation between two young damselfly species.

External male reproductive structures have received considerable attention as a cause of reproductive isolation (RI), because the morphology of these structures often evolves rapidly between populations. This rapid evolution presents the potential for mechanical incompatibilities with heterospecific female structures during mating and could thus prevent interbreeding between nascent species. Although such mechanical incompatibilities have received little empirical support as a common cause of RI, the potential for mismatch of reproductive structures to cause RI due to incompatible species-specific tactile cues has not been tested. We tested the importance of mechanical and tactile incompatibilities in RI between Enallagma anna and E. carunculatum, two damselfly species that diverged within the past ∼250,000 years and currently hybridize in a sympatric region. We quantified 19 prezygotic and postzygotic RI barriers using both naturally occurring and laboratory-reared damselflies. We found incomplete mechanical isolation between the two pure species and between hybrid males and pure species females. Interestingly, in mating pairs for which mechanical isolation was incomplete, females showed greater resistance and refusal to mate with hybrid or heterospecific males compared to conspecific males. This observation suggests that tactile incompatibilities involving male reproductive structures can influence female mating decisions and form a strong barrier to gene flow in early stages of speciation.

Male biased sex ratio reduces the fecundity of one of three female morphs in a polymorphic damselfly

Lay SummaryHow genetic variation is preserved is a central issue in evolutionary biology. In many species of damselflies, females come in distinct heritable color varieties. We found that in an Iberian damselfly when subject to stressful male harassment, fecundity decreased in one kind of female but not in others. Our results, together with previous observations, suggest a scenario where differential fecundity, male preference, and fluctuations in male abundance play an important role in maintaining this variation.

Ecological dissimilarity among land-use/land-cover types improves a heterogeneity index for predicting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

Land-use/land-cover heterogeneity is among the most important factors influencing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and is the key to the conservation of multi-habitat dwellers that use both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Heterogeneity indices based on land-use/land-cover maps typically do not integrate ecological dissimilarity between land-use/land-cover types. Here, we applied the concept of functional diversity to an existing land-use/land-cover diversity index (Satoyama index) to incorporate ecological dissimilarity and proposed a new index called the dissimilarity-based Satoyama index (DSI). Using Japan as a case study, we calculated the DSI for three land-use/land-cover maps with different spatial resolutions and derived similarity information from normalized difference vegetation index values. The DSI showed better performance in the prediction of Japanese damselfly species richness than that of the existing index, and a higher correlation between the index and species richness was obtained for higher resolution maps. Thus, our approach to improve the land-use/land-cover diversity index holds promise for future development and can be effective for conservation and monitoring efforts.

Parasitism, immune response, and egg production of the spearhead bluet (Coenagrion hastulatum) damselfly

Theoretical models predict that parasites reduce reproductive success of their hosts, but very few empirical studies have given support to this. Using the spearhead bluet (Coenagrion hastulatum (Charpentier, 1825)) damselfly, we tested how immune response, wing length, and the number of both endo- and ecto-parasites affect egg production of host damselflies. The study was conducted with four different populations in southwest Finland. We found a negative association between endoparasitic gregarines and number of host eggs. Furthermore, immune response increased with the number of water mites, but decreased with the number of eggs. Contrary to previous studies with other damselfly species, the number of ectoparasitic water mites did not affect the number of eggs. Moreover, wing length, used as an indicator of individual size, was not associated with egg numbers. The negative effect of gregarine parasites on egg numbers is likely to affect the composition of host populations, i.e., damselflies that show higher resistance to these endoparasites will have more of their offspring represented in subsequent generations. In future, more experimental research on the varying effects of different parasite species on the number of eggs is needed.

The marker choice: Unexpected resolving power of an unexplored CO1 region for layered DNA barcoding approaches.

The potential of DNA barcoding approaches to identify single species and characterize species compositions strongly depends on the marker choice. The prominent “Folmer region”, a 648 basepair fragment at the 5’ end of the mitochondrial CO1 gene, has been traditionally applied as a universal DNA barcoding region for metazoans. In order to find a suitable marker for biomonitoring odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), we here explore a new region of the CO1 gene (CO1B) for DNA barcoding in 51 populations of 23 dragonfly and damselfly species. We compare the “Folmer region”, the mitochondrial ND1 gene (NADH dehydrogenase 1) and the new CO1 region with regard to (i) speed and reproducibility of sequence generation, (ii) levels of homoplasy and (iii) numbers of diagnostic characters for discriminating closely related sister taxa and populations. The performances of the gene regions regarding these criteria were quite different. Both, the amplification of CO1B and ND1 was highly reproducible and CO1B showed the highest potential for discriminating sister taxa at different taxonomic levels. In contrast, the amplification of the “Folmer region” using the universal primers was difficult and the third codon positions of this fragment have experienced nucleotide substitution saturation. Most important, exploring this new barcode region of the CO1 gene identified a higher discriminating power between closely related sister taxa. Together with the design of layered barcode approaches adapted to the specific taxonomic “environment”, this new marker will further enhance the discrimination power at the species level.

Range shifting species reduce phylogenetic diversity in high latitude communities via competition.

Under anthropogenic climate change, many species are expanding their ranges to higher latitudes and altitudes, resulting in novel species interactions. The consequences of these range shifts for native species, patterns of local biodiversity and community structure in high latitude ecosystems are largely unknown but critical to understand in light of widespread poleward expansions by many warm-adapted generalists. Using niche modelling, phylogenetic methods, and field and laboratory studies, we investigated how colonization of Scotland by a range expanding damselfly, Ischnura elegans, influences patterns of competition and niche shifts in native damselfly species, and changes in phylogenetic community structure. Colonization by I.elegans was associated with reduced population density and niche shifts in the resident species least related to I.elegans (Lestes sponsa), reflecting enhanced competition. Furthermore, communities colonized by I.elegans exhibited phylogenetic underdispersion, reflecting patterns of relatedness and competition. Our results provide a novel example of a potentially general mechanism whereby climate change-mediated range shifts can reduce phylogenetic diversity within high latitude communities, if colonizing species are typically competitively superior to members of native communities that are least-closely related to the colonizer.

Context-dependent local movements of the blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans: effects of pond characteristics and the landscape matrix

The loss of ponds and the fragmentation of their surrounding landscape negatively impacts the biodiversity of wetlands, such as damselflies. They are short-distance dispersers and can be influenced by the quality of suitable habitats and the landscape matrix. The aim of this study was to test the effect of the environmental context (i.e. pond characteristics and the surrounding landscape) on movements and survival probability in a damselfly species, Ischnura elegans. Three approaches (i.e. capture-mark-recapture, individual tracking and translocation studies) were performed in Northwestern France. The characteristics of ponds did not influence damselfly survival. However, the landscape context affected movements within ponds, and between ponds. Individuals from open-field ponds moved over longer distances than individuals from urban ponds. Moreover, in cases of disturbances, such as a pond drying up, movements from one pond to another were observed only in the open-field context. The ecological quality of the pond did not appear to affect survival of individuals, probably because I. elegans has a high tolerance to changes in ecological factors. However, higher local movements depend on the degree of openness of the landscape. Landscape context is hence a key issue in damselfly conservation planning and in maintaining ecological continuities, such as along greenways and blueways, and specifically the degree of landscape openness during pond creation.

Identification of evolutionarily significant units in the Cuban endemic damselfly Hypolestes trinitatis (Odonata: Hypolestidae)

Species classification may not reflect the underlying/cryptic genetic diversity which should otherwise be conserved as it represents the potential of populations to evolve and adapt. The identification of evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) allows cryptic genetic diversity to be taken into account when designating conservation priorities. Here, we used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences integrated with ecological niche models (ENM) to identify ESUs in Hypolestes trinitatis, a threatened Cuban endemic damselfly species. We found that this species comprises two distinct genetic groups in Central and Eastern Cuba respectively, which are also geographically isolated, as shown by ENM. Therefore, we propose these groups to be considered as different ESUs. According with their extent of occurrence, number of locations and inferred decline of habitat extent and quality, Central and Eastern ESUs qualify as Endangered [EN B1b(iii)] and Vulnerable [VU B1b(iii)], respectively.

A new stem-coenagrionoid genus of damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

A new genus and species of damselfly, Burmagrion marjanmatoki, gen. et sp. nov., is described from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. It is attributed to the basal stem group of Coenagrionoidea. The inclusion of five wings from the same species suggests that the amber piece contains the remains of a mating pair of damselflies.