Dragonflies and Damselflies: Model Organisms for Ecological and Evolutionary Research

303 Pages·2009·3.98 MB·English

by  Alex Córdoba-Aguilar

Dragonfl ies and Damselfl ies: Model Organisms
for Ecological and Evolutionary Research
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Dragonfl ies and
Damselfl ies
Model organisms for ecological
and evolutionary research
EDITED BY
Alex Córdoba-Aguilar
1
3
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ISBN 978–0–19–923069–3 (Hbk)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the memory of Phil Corbet.
For many of us, his writings were a source of inspiration
and his friendship an enormous treasure
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Foreword

The conspicuous behaviour of adult dragonfl ies, as Thompson (1990) elucidated the relationship
well as the modest number of species in the order between weather, daily survival rate, and lifetime
Odonata, make these insects unusually accessible egg production. For larvae, Lawton’s (1971) estima-
to the investigator. During the last 50 years or so an tion of the energy budget of a coenagrionid made
impressive amount of information has been gath- possible the tracking of energy fl ow from egg to
ered regarding the behaviour and ecology of these adult, Thompson (1975) and Onyeka (1983) charac-
handsome insects, and this has recently been made terized functional-response distributions during
available in the form of a comprehensive review feeding, Pickup and Thompson (1990) and
(Corbet 2004). Most of this information, necessarily, Krishnaraj and Pritchard (1995) used such informa-
has been in the form of factual observations of the tion as a variable to model the effects of food and
conduct of dragonfl ies under natural conditions; temperature on growth rate, and Glenn Rowe and
that is, descriptions of how these insects behave in Harvey (1985) applied information theory to agon-
nature. Observations of this kind, often the prod- istic interactions between individuals.
uct of great skill and dedication, provide the foun- With these examples to provide inspiration, and
dation needed for the construction of theoretical with a rich lode of factual information ready to be
models which represent a further step towards elu- mined, today’s biologists are supremely well
cidating the strategies that enable us to rationalize placed to make further progress in the fi elds of
patterns of behaviour in terms of evolutionary modelling and evolutionary research using odo-
pressures. A few pioneers have already ventured nates subjects. The contributions in this book con-
along this fruitful path. For adult dragonflies, stitute convincing testimony to this assessment
Kaiser (1974), Ubukata (1980b), Poethke and Kaiser and to the suitability of dragonfl ies as models for
(1985, 1987), and Poethke (1988) modelled the rela- elucidating the proximate and ultimate forces that
tionship between territoriality and density of males give direction to their behaviour, morphology, and
at the reproductive site, Marden and Waage (1990) ecology.
likened territorial contests to wars of attrition in Any advance in knowledge and understanding
the context of energy expenditure, and Richard that helps to place greater value on dragonfl ies and
Rowe (1988) explored the mating expectation of the natural world in which they live can only serve
males in relation to the density and oviposition to heighten our awareness of the urgent need to
behaviour of females. In 1979 Waage provided the conserve those species that are still with us. This
fi rst, and probably still the most convincing, evi- book will surely contribute towards that end and I
dence for any taxon of the mechanism by which wish it great success.
males gain sperm precedence, thereby opening the
way for testable hypotheses for modelling mecha- Philip S. Corbet
nisms of sperm displacement and therefore male– University of Edinburgh
female competition. Using simulation models, Phil Corbet died on February 18.
vii
viii FOREWORD
References Poethke, H.-J. and Kaiser, H. (1985) A simulation
approach to evolutionary game theory: the evolution of
Corbet, P.S. (2004) Dragonfl ies. Behavior and Ecology of time-sharing behaviour in a dragonfl y mating system.
Odonata, revised edition. Cornell University Press, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 18, 155–163.
Ithaca, NY. Poethke, H.-J. and Kaiser, H. (1987) The territoriality
Kaiser, H. (1974) Die Regelung der Individuendichte bei threshold: a model for mutual avoidance in dragonfl y
Libellenmännchen (Aeschna cyanea, Odonata). Eine mating systems. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 20,
Analyse mit systemtheoretischem Ansatz. Oecologia 11–19.
14, 53–74. Rowe, G.W. and Harvey, I.F. (1985) Information con-
Krishnaraj, R. and Pritchard, G. (1995) The infl uence of tent in fi nite sequences: communication between
larval size, temperature, and components of the func- dragonfl y larvae. Journal of Theoretical Biology 116,
tional response to prey density, on growth rates of the 275–290.
dragonfl ies Lestes disjunctus and Coenagrion resolutum Rowe, R.J. (1988) Alternative oviposition behaviours in
(Insecta: Odonata). Canadian Journal of Zoology 73, three New Zealand corduliid dragonfl ies: their adap-
1672–1680. tive signifi cance and implications for male mating
Lawton, J.H. (1971) Ecological energetics studies on larvae tactics. Journal of the Linnean Society 92, 43–66.
of the damselfl y Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) (Odonata: Thompson, D. (1975) Towards a predator-prey model
Zygoptera). Journal of Animal Ecology 40, 385–423. incorporating age structure: the effects of predator
Marden, J.H. and Waage, J.K. (1990) Escalated damselfl y and prey size on the predation of Daphnia magna
territorial contests are energetic wars of attrition. by Ischnura elegans. Journal of Animal Ecology 44,
Animal Behaviour 39, 954–959. 907–916.
Onyeka, J.O.A. (1983) Studies on the natural predators Thompson, D.J. (1990) The effects of survival and wea-
of Culex pipiens L. and C. torrentium Martini (Diptera: ther on lifetime egg production in a model damselfl y.
Culicidae) in England. Bulletin of Entomological Research Ecological Entomology 15, 455–482.
73, 185–194. Ubukata, H. (1975) Life history and behavior of a cor-
Pickup, J. and Thompson, D.J. (1990) The effects of tem- duliid dragonfl y, Cordulia aenea amurensis Selys. II.
perature and prey density on the development rates Reproductive period with special reference to territori-
and growth of damselfl y larvae (Odonata: Zygoptera). ality. Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University,
Ecological Entomology 15, 187–200. Series 6, Zoology 19, 812–833.
Poethke, H.-J. (1988) Density-dependent behaviour in Waage, J.K. (1979) Dual function of the damselfl y penis:
Aeschna cyanea (Müller) males at the mating place sperm removal and transfer. Science 203, 916–918.
(Anisoptera: Aeshnidae). Odonatologica 17, 205–212.
Contents
Contributors
1 Introduction 1
Alex Córdoba-Aguilar
Section I Studies in ecology 5
2 Mark–recapture studies and demography 7
Adolfo Cordero-Rivera and Robby Stoks
3 Structure and dynamics of odonate communities: accessing habitat,
responding to risk, and enabling reproduction 21
Patrick W. Crumrine, Paul V. Switzer, and Philip H. Crowley
4 Life-history plasticity under time stress in damselfly larvae 39
Robby Stoks, Frank Johansson, and Marjan De Block
5 Ecological factors limiting the distributions and abundances of Odonata 51
Mark A. McPeek
6 Migration in Odonata: a case study of Anax junius 63
Michael L. May and John H. Matthews
7 The use of dragonflies in the assessment and monitoring of aquatic habitats 79
Beat Oertli
8 Dragonflies as focal organisms in contemporary conservation biology 97
Michael J. Samways
9 Valuing dragonflies as service providers 109
John P. Simaika and Michael J. Samways
Section II Studies in evolution 125
10 Evolution of morphological defences 127
Frank Johansson and Dirk Johannes Mikolajewski
11 Interspecific interactions and premating reproductive isolation 139
Katja Tynkkynen, Janne S. Kotiaho, and Erik I. Svensson
12 Lifetime reproductive success and sexual selection theory 153
Walter D. Koenig
ix