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Among the oldest winged insects, odonates are a monophyletic order that have become important models for ecological studies because of their highly diverse reproductive behaviors and their role as top predators and bioindicators. However, knowledge on evolutionary relationships within the order is still scarce compared to other taxa, and this situation is even more complicated in areas with high biodiversity, such as in the Amazon. Here, we sought to identify knowledge gaps on Amazonian Odonata regarding three main aspects: (i) how the inclusion of Amazonian taxa affects our interpretation of the evolutionary relationships of Zygoptera and Anisoptera; (ii) the position of Amazonian taxa in the existing supertree of the Odonata; (iii) dating evolutionary divergence between nodes using fossil records; (iv) assessing whether more species-rich basins (e.g., Amazon basin) have a larger phylogenetic gap when compared to basins with lower richness in South and Central America; and (v) in the light of our knowledge, we discuss diversification patterns found in the most predominant clades of Amazonian taxa. We built a supertree from currently available phylogenetic information of Odonata. The results show that there is no genetic information for 85% (n: 503) of the Amazonian species and that family level relationships are unknown for 17 genera. After compiling the data, we observed that clades belonging to Neotropical lineages are the most poorly resolved, with large polytomies. This problem was identified in many Anisoptera genera, such as Macrothemis, Dasythemis, Elasmothemis, and Erythrodiplax. Our results also suggest that not always the richest basins have the greatest phylogenetic gaps. As expected, we found important gaps in the existing Odonata phylogenies, especially in clades that include Amazonian representatives, that are also those less known from ecological and conservation perspectives.

In some species, males use weapons to harm females, increasing their short-term fitness. Here we show that females can use genital adaptations against males. Females of the damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum have a conspicuous vulvar spine on the eighth abdominal segment, which contacts with the male during copulation. We tested 3 hypotheses for its function: it (a) inflicts damage to the male during copulation; (b) facilitates endophytic oviposition; and (c) stimulates males during copulation to increase their investment. We found that males mated on average for 54 min with control females, but increased copulation to 99 min with females without spine. There was no evidence of physical harm of the spine on the male's seminal vesicle, which shows 8- to 18-folds, exactly where the spine contacts during copulation. Females with and without spine exhibited the same egg-laying rates and showed similar fecundity and fertility. Longevity was also similar in males mated to control and spineless females. In contrast to many species where females resist male harassment by behavioral responses, the morphological adaptation observed in E. cyathigerum appears to act as a sexual weapon, allowing females to control copulation duration. We suggest that the spine has evolved because of sexual conflict over mating duration. ispartof: EVOLUTION vol:77 issue:7 ispartof: location:United States status: Published online

Molecular tools have revolutionized assessments of blood parasites in freshwater turtles. In the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, two native species of terrapins occur, Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus) and Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger). Both have been identified as hosts for the blood parasite Haemogregarina stepanowi Danilewsky, 1885, which has also been found in related species. However, recent assessments of M. leprosa have identified several distinct genetic lineages of these parasites in this host, while only three haemogregarine lineages were identified in E. orbicularis in Tunisia. Here, we screened 215 individuals of E. orbicularis from the Iberian Peninsula, Menorca Island and Morocco for haemogregarine parasites using partial 18S rRNA gene sequences to estimate relationships. Three unrelated lineages of parasites were detected, one presumed H. stepanowi and two lineages previously known from M. leprosa. A considerable undescribed diversity of parasites exists within these vertebrate host species, while mixed infection and host-sharing is also widespread. Considering that E. orbicularis is near threatened in this region, it is of great importance to identify the parasites infecting it, and to further assess the potential deleterious impact of these diverse parasites on their hosts. © 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG 1. Sexual selection favours the evolution and maintenance of polygamy, which is the dominant reproductive strategy in insects. Monogamy can evolve in very short-lived species due to time constraints. Here we study adult activity and mating behaviour of a population of the damselfly Ischnura hastata, a species rarely seen mating, and which has been suggested to be monandric, in wetlands of Isabela Island, Galápagos. 2. By means of mark-recapture methods we estimated that the daily survival rate was low, ranging from 0.385 to 0.876, yielding average life expectancies of mature individuals of only 1.2-3.2 days. Adults showed very low activity before 7:00, indicating that mating does not occur early. The number of male-female interactions and mating attempts was extremely low, with only 44 copulations recorded on over 230 h of observations. 3. Copulations were brief, with a mean duration of 11 minutes (but only two observed from the start). Males showed clear preference to attempt to grasp in tandem females of intermediate age (in 94.3% of cases), rather than young (31.3%) or mature females (24.0%). Males were very persistent once a tandem was achieved, retaining females for up to 139 min, but most females resisted and did not copulate. 4. We conclude that females of I. hastata show a very short time window to mate, exactly when they change colour from juvenile to mature, and live only enough to mate once. Short lifespan has selected for female monandry in I. hastata, creating an intense sexual conflict over mating rates. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CGL2014-53140-P Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00

This chapter considers the application of mark-recapture techniques to a variety of population level phenomena, using analytical methods based on the Theory of Information to estimate individual survival. It discusses the impact of marking techniques on individuals under study, reviews the global distribution of studies using mark-recapture methods, and performs a meta-analysis of these recent studies. Next it examines how design aspects such as study duration affect survival estimates, looks at the effect of sex and age on survival and recapture rates, how female polymorphisms relate to outcomes, and reviews the individual and environmental covariates that are found to be influential in these studies. It aims to identify gaps in our knowledge on odonate survivorship, the need for longer-term studies, and the need for greater coverage of different regions and species.

espanolEn un reciente articulo, Bramble (2021) sostiene que, dado que los depredadores infligen dolor y miedo a sus presas, tenemos el derecho moral de actuar para minimizar estos efectos, y propone dos alternativas. La primera es transformar a los depredadores “modificandolos geneticamente para que sus descendientes se conviertan gradualmente en herbivoros”. La segunda es simplemente “matar a los depredadores sin dolor”, que es el titulo del ensayo de Bramble. Aqui abordamos los conceptos erroneos utilizados por Bramble y que son centrales en sus argumentos y presentamos un razonamiento cientifico para analizar las implicaciones eticas de ignorar el conocimiento cientifico al abordar el bienestar y los derechos de los animales. Concluimos que las dos alternativas de Bramble carecen de sentido, no solo desde un punto de vista cientifico, sino sobre todo, desde el punto de vista etico. EnglishA recent paper by Bramble (2021) argues that given that predators inflict pain and fear on their prey we have the moral right to act to minimize these effects. The author proposes two alternatives. The first is to transform predators by 'genetically modifying them so that their offspring gradually evolve into herbivores'. The second is simply 'painlessly killing predators', which is the title of Bramble's essay. We address the misconceptions that Bramble uses as central in his arguments and present scientific reasoning to discuss the ethical implications of disregarding scientific knowledge when addressing animal welfare and animal rights. We conclude that both Bramble's alternatives are nonsensical, not only from a scientific point of view, but also, and more importantly, from ethical ground

The odonates are insects that have a wide range of reproductive, ritualized territorial, and aggressive behaviors. Changes in behavior are the first response of most odonate species to environmental alterations. In this context, the primary objective of the present study was to assess the effects of environmental alterations resulting from shifts in land use on different aspects of the behavioral diversity of adult odonates. Fieldwork was conducted at 92 low-order streams in two different regions of the Brazilian Amazon. To address our main objective, we measured 29 abiotic variables at each stream, together with five morphological and five behavioral traits of the resident odonates. The results indicate a loss of behaviors at sites impacted by anthropogenic changes, as well as variation in some morphological/behavioral traits under specific environmental conditions. We highlight the importance of considering behavioral traits in the development of conservation strategies, given that species with a unique behavioral repertoire may suffer specific types of extinction pressure. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brasil | Ref. 449315 / 2014-2 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brasil | Ref. 481015 / 2011-6 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brasil | Ref. 88887.493682 / 2020-00 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brasil | Ref. 88887.469089 / 2019 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brasil | Ref. 304710 / 2019-9 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brasil | Ref. 307836 / 2019-3 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brasil | Ref. 141991 / 2016-0 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brasil | Ref. 141113 / 2020-0 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brasil | Ref. 154761 / 2018-4 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brasil | Ref. 88881.474457 / 2020-01 FAPESP - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo. | Ref. 2013 / 00406-7 FAPESP - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | Ref. 2019 / 20130-2 Ministerio de Ciencia, España | Ref. CGL2014-53140-P Ministerio de Ciencia, España | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00

Human activities have facilitated the introduction of invasive plants worldwide, altering habitat structure and leading to substantial effects on biodiversity. However, the effects of plant invasions on herbivore communities are understudied. Here, we examine factors influencing the occurrence of herbivores in ten coastal sites invaded by Carpobrotus edulis in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The aims were to evaluate the distribution and abundance of herbivorous invertebrates in different communities (invaded vs. non-invaded), explore the structure of plant–herbivore interaction networks, and assess whether the presence of herbivores affects the performance and fitness of C. edulis. Our results show that herbivore species composition was altered by the presence of C. edulis. Non-invaded plots had a higher number of plant–herbivore interactions and more specialized herbivore species, resulting in a greater degree of specialization. We also found an increase in the number of damaged flowers (florivory) of C. edulis by the native snails Theba pisana and Cornu aspersum. We conclude that C. edulis alters herbivore communities compared with non-invaded plots by changing plant–herbivore interactions and increasing the abundance of herbivores in invaded coastal sites. Snails might reduce seed production of C. edulis, acting as a natural biological control agent. Understanding the impacts of introduced species over invertebrate species at different community levels is crucial for implementing long-term management strategies that are key to reducing the impact of C. edulis on biodiversity.

Forests have been widely recognized as key habitats for odonate (dragonflies and damselflies) biodiversity, but the importance of forests for holding odonate biodiversity remains understudied in tropical mountains, one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Here we described the odonate assemblage composition along the elevation gradient in the Tatamá Mountains (Colombian Cordillera Occidental). We analyzed the effects of elevation, habitat, and suborder on species richness and endemism. We found that the richest assemblage occurred in the foothills between 300 and 600 m, where the biotas of the Chocó biogeographic region and the Tropical Andes converge. Anisoptera richness was higher in open-habitat habitats, that of Zygoptera higher in forests. Richness and endemism decreased with elevation, and no relation between habitat and richness was found. However, the number of endemic species was strongly related to forests, which harbored 25 out of 28 endemic species. Also, forest odonates had narrower elevation ranges than open-habitat odonates. These patterns can be explained because tropical mountains were historically covered by forests, while open habitats derived from human activities (i.e., pastures) have flourished in the past centuries. The forest odonate assemblages at different elevations have been evolving for millions of years, in relatively stable ecological conditions, which could promote the high number of forest endemics in the tropical mountains. Our results emphasize the role of tropical mountain forests in the conservation of Odonata diversity.

Demography and territorial behavior of Hetaerina cruentata was studied along three lowland streams located at Norte de Santander department in the Colombian Andean region. Adult damselflies (N: 278) were individually marked, and using their recapture histories we estimated survival, longevity, sex ratio, age groups and population size at each location. We found no evidence for survival differences between ages and sexes. However, the proportion of resighted individuals was lower for females, and the sex ratio was male-biased in all populations. Although we recorded few reproductive events, a high number of male-male agonistic interactions were registered around midday. During reproductive behavior, we observed brief wing displays as signals between males and females, and the formation of the tandem position, followed by the intra-male sperm translocation and copulation (mean duration 11.3 min). After copulation, the pair in tandem looked for suitable sites to oviposit, and then the male broke tandem and perched on the vegetation while the female laid eggs partially or completely underwater. The recapture probability was time-dependent, which suggests that the alternation of rainy and sunny days during the study may be generating differences in the demography of the three H. cruentata populations.

Understanding the life cycle of Neotropical odonate species is essential given our scant knowledge of this region. In this paper, we examine growth ratio between instars, development patterns, and active/passive feeding behavior of the Andean dragonfly Erythrodiplax abjecta ( Rambur, 1842 ). Larvae were obtained from eggs laid by two females in the laboratory and were maintained at 12–34 °C in individual containers until either their emergence or their death. Larvae hatched 26–57 days after laying, and the total development time was determined as being 316 (SD ± 6.6) days, including 13 instars. Larval instars were characterized using six morphometric variables. The foraging behavior was analyzed considering the time of day and the percentage of the background covered by detritus. The growth ratios between successive instars averaged 1.9 for FW pad length, 1.6 for HW pad length and 1.2 for head width, head length, metathoracic leg length, and total length. Neither the active foraging nor the sit-and-wait foraging behavior were affected by either time of the day or the percentage of background covered by detritus. Erythrodiplax abjecta is univoltine and has a slow lifestyle associated with lentic perennial waters, where larval development and growth rates are low. We provide an equation to estimate the E. abjecta larval instars from field specimens. Given that our results were obtained from the eggs laid by only two females, further studies including a larger sample size are needed to validate their generality.

Insects are reportedly experiencing widespread declines, but we generally have sparse data on their abundance. Correcting this shortfall will take more effort than professional entomologists alone can manage. Volunteer nature enthusiasts can greatly help to monitor the abundance of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), iconic freshwater sentinels and one of the few nonpollinator insect groups appreciated by the public and amenable to citizen science. Although counting individual odonates is common in some locations, current data will not enable a global perspective on odonate abundance patterns and trends. Borrowing insight from butterfly monitoring efforts, we outline basic plans for a global volunteer network to count odonates, including organizational structure, advertising and recruiting, and data collection, submission, and synthesis. We hope our proposal serves as a catalyst for richer coordinated efforts to understand population trends of odonates and other insects in the Anthropocene.

Population structure determines individuals’ interactions and trade-offs with evolutionary consequences. Male-biased populations increase intrasexual competition and intersexual harassment, reducing female resource acquisition, and thus, resources availability for the following generation. We analyzed direct and cross-generational effects of male harassment in two generations of damselflies (Odonata). We exposed adult females to treatments with different sex-ratio and density (balanced and male-biased) to modify the male harassment level. We analyzed female fecundity, fertility, and number of faecal deposits as an indirect measure of resources acquisition. We studied female flight performance after repeated exposures to males. We analyzed survivorship, development, exploration, thigmotaxis, and feeding latency of larvae produced by the experimental females. In both generations, we analyzed four metrics of behavior: mean value, interindividual differences in plasticity, intra-individual unpredictability, and repeatability. Mating duration increased in male-biased treatment, whereas female resources acquisition and fertility decreased. Females that mated longer showed higher fecundity when they were exposed to balanced treatment, but not if they were exposed to male-biased treatment. Females from the male-biased treatment showed interindividual differences in plasticity and no repeatability in flight performance. Offspring showed balanced sex-ratio and similar survivorship, development, and feeding latency independently of the parental treatment; however, females exposed to male-biased treatment produced offspring with higher differences in exploration plasticity and daughters less explorative and with higher unpredictable thigmotaxis. We propose prolonged copulation as courtship at balanced sex-ratio but a cost to females under male-biased sex-ratio. Cross-generational effects in behavioral variability may be a mechanism to cope with predicted future environments.

Ischnura praematura sp. nov. (Holotype ♂, China, Yunnan, Lijiang, 26º31´03.54”N, 100º13’38.89”E, 2396 m, 04 xii 2015, I. Sanmartín-Villar & H. Zhang leg.) is morphologically described, illustrated and compared with close species of the genus. Ischnura praematura can be mainly distinguished from its congeners I. aurora, I. rubilio and I. asiatica by its abdominal and thoracic morphology and colouration. The posterior lobe of the prothorax is elevated in I. praematura and the mesostigmal plates possess dorsal triangular protuberances. Ischnura praematura shows pointed paraprocts, internalised wide cerci and lacks a dorsal tuberculum in the tenth abdominal segment. The blue abdominal colouration is present in the last three segments (incomplete for segment eight and ten in some individuals). No female polychromatism was detected and all females observed possessed different colouration than male (gynochrome). Morphological distinctiveness of the species is supported by genetic analyses, which show that I. praematura forms a well-supported, monophyletic clade, with I. asiatica, I. ezoin and I. pumilio as the most closely related species. In the field, mature females show strong reluctance to mate, and males were observed mating with newly emerged females. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. BES-2012-052005 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. EEBB-I-15- 09382 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CGL2014-53140-P Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00

Nesobasis rito sp. nov. (Holotype ♂, Fiji, Vanua Levu, Drawa, 31 v 2018, A. Rivas-Torres leg.) from the comosa group is here described, illustrated, diagnosed, and compared with morphologically close species of the genus. Nesobasis rito can be distinguished from its related congeners by the shape of the caudal appendages and the ligula. The most similar species are N. comosa and N. heteroneura, which, like N. rito, have the caudal appendages covered by dense setae (especially the first species), but the shape differs clearly in lateral view, with N. rito having longer and more slender appendages, and a basal tooth clearly seen in dorsal view, absent in other members of the comosa group. The specific status of the collected specimens is also supported by the results of genetic analyses, where N. rito appears as a well-supported monophyletic clade. Nesobasis rito also has a distinct distribution from its most similar congeners: it is found on Vanua Levu, while N. comosa is found on Viti Levu and the closely related N. heteroneura is found on Viti Levu and Ovalau. All species of this group are found in streams with native forest riparian vegetation on their respective islands.

Simple Summary Flying insects are able to colonize oceanic islands by both active and passive dispersal. Ten species of dragonflies are found in the Galapagos archipelago, located at 900 km from mainland South America. Shortly after the publication of Darwin’s “The Origin of Species”, one of the dragonflies from these islands was named after him as Tramea darwini. However, subsequent studies considered it to belong to another continental species of the same genus known as Tramea cophysa. Here, we studied a series of specimens of Tramea collected in 2018 from the Islands of San Cristobal, Isabela, and Santa Cruz, with the aim of determining their specific identity, through a combination of molecular and morphological analyses. Our results indicate that the Galapagos specimens examined belong to Tramea calverti, another continental species, and not to T. cophysa as previously thought. Following the principle of priority in taxonomic nomenclature, Tramea calverti, which was described in 1910 by Muttkowski, should hereafter be considered a synonym of Tramea darwini, which was described in 1889 by Kirby; hence, the species named after Darwin is to be considered valid, inhabiting both the Galapagos islands and continental America. Abstract The status of the Tramea species present in the Galapagos Islands (Odonata, Libellulidae) has been the subject of a long-standing debate among odonatologists. Here, we use molecular and morphological data to analyze a series of specimens from this genus collected in 2018 from the Islands of San Cristobal, Isabela, and Santa Cruz, with the aim of determining their relationship with Tramea calverti Muttkowski and with their currently considered senior synonym T. cophysa Hagen. We combined sequencing of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA with morphological examination of several specimens of Tramea, including representatives of continental T. cophysa and T. calverti. Our molecular analyses place the Tramea from Galapagos in the same clade as T. calverti, with T. cophysa as a closely related species. The morphological analyses found only one consistent difference between T. cophysa and T. calverti: the presence of an accessory lobe in the male vesica spermalis of T. cophysa that is absent in T. calverti and in the Tramea from Galapagos. In agreement with our genetic results, the overall morphological differences documented by us indicate that the Galapagos material examined is conspecific with T. calverti. In light of this, and following the principle of priority in taxonomic nomenclature, Tramea calverti Muttkowski, 1910 should hereafter be considered a junior synonym of Tramea darwini Kirby, 1889.

Plant invasions can modify the composition of native communities through altering diversity and ecosystem functioning. For example, arthropod communities can be influenced by the introduction of invasive plant species, but the impacts of plant invasions on arthropod communities have received little attention. Here, we investigated the diversity and species composition of arthropods in areas with and without invasive plants by comparing native ecosystems and areas invaded by Acacia dealbata, A. longifolia and A. melanoxylon in 18 locations in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. Yellow sticky traps were placed in branches above ground in randomly selected areas and used to qualify and quantify the number of aerial arthropods. The aim was to assess the impact of invasive Acacia on arthropod species in different ecosystems. Our results demonstrate that arthropods are negatively influenced by Acacia invasions, reducing the abundance and diversity in invaded areas, which had substantial effects on beta-diversity and trophic levels. Overall, our findings indicate that invasive acacias can alter the species composition by not only reducing abundance and diversity but also altering the different trophic groups of the arthropod assemblages. The physical dominance of Acacia invaders alters the co-occurrence of arthropod assemblages, reducing the number of groups and leading to substantial effects on ecosystem dynamics as well as in the trophic diversity. We suggest implementing management strategies to favour the protection of native ecosystems and reduce the impacts of these exotic plants on arthropod biodiversity at the habitat level.

Sperm quality and viability affect both male and female fitness. Most dragonfly and damselfly males translocate sperm from the testis to the seminal vesicle before each copulation, a behaviour known as intramale sperm translocation (ST). However, some published observations indicate that odonate males can occasionally skip ST prior to copulation. Our aim was to determine the circumstances under which males skip ST and how this might affect sperm viability. We allowed males of the damselfly Ischnura graellsii to perform ST (interrupting the copulation at this stage) and we studied ST behaviour during subsequent copulation. Males were randomly assigned to four treatments, which consisted of allowing the experimental male to copulate again 15 min or 1–3 days after his last ST. Fertility of females mated with the experimental males was analysed as a proxy for sperm viability. All males used the sperm that they translocated previously when the second mating took place 15 min after the manipulation, while the proportion of males that repeated ST increased steadily over time. Both treatment (time elapsed since last ST) and the interaction between treatment and ST (yes/no) had a significant effect on fertility, which decreased only in males that did not perform ST immediately before copulation. Additional experiments with damselflies of the genus Calopteryx showed also that males did not repeat ST when the time to the next copulation was less than a day. Our results suggest that sperm quality decays over time in odonates, and that males can choose whether to keep and reuse the sperm in the seminal vesicle or to discard it. We conclude that the special anatomical disposition of odonate males might increase selective pressures to maximize sperm viability and/or repeated intramale ST behaviour.

The ‘functional allometry’ hypothesis proposes that the variation in allometric patterns of sexually selected traits is related to their function. We hypothesize that the allometric patterns for genitalia of aggressively territorial organisms are different from those in non-territorial organisms and predict that in aggressively territorial species, where body size is related directly to reproductive success, males must allocate more resources to body size than to genitalia. We studied 59 species of damselflies in 51 genera. Species were divided into three categories: highly territorial and aggressive; low aggressive; and not aggressive. We measured the length of the genital ligula, the width at the basis and its maximum width, and we used body length and wing length as descriptors of body size. The slope of allometric relationships was estimated using ordinary least squares and reduced major axis regressions. Our results indicated first, that territorial damselflies are larger and that body length and wing length are not equivalent as estimators of body size in odonates. Second, ordinary least squares and reduced major axis regressions provided different results in some of the analyses. Third, we found that aggressive species have less steep allometric slopes than non-aggressive species, both for the length of the ligula and for the width at its basis. Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | CGL2008-02799 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CGL2005-00122 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. PCI2006-A7-0639 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CGL2008-02799 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CGL2011-22629 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CGL2014-53140-P Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00

Dragonflies and damselflies are a charismatic, medium-sized insect order (~6300 species) with a unique potential to approach comparative research questions. Their taxonomy and many ecological traits for a large fraction of extant species are relatively well understood. However, until now, the lack of a large-scale phylogeny based on high throughput data with the potential to connect both perspectives has precluded comparative evolutionary questions for these insects. Here, we provide an ordinal hypothesis of classification based on anchored hybrid enrichment using a total of 136 species representing 46 of the 48 families or incertae sedis, and a total of 478 target loci. Our analyses recovered the monophyly for all three suborders: Anisoptera, Anisozygoptera and Zygoptera. Although the backbone of the topology was reinforced and showed the highest support values to date, our genomic data was unable to stronglyresolve portions of the topology. In addition, a quartet sampling approach highlights the potential evolutionary scenarios that may have shaped evolutionary phylogeny (e.g., incomplete lineage sorting and introgression) of this taxon. Finally, in light of our phylogenomic reconstruction and previous morphological and molecular information we proposed an updated odonate classification and define five new families (Amanipodagrionidae fam. nov., Mesagrionidae fam. nov., Mesopodagrionidae fam. nov., Priscagrionidae fam. nov., Protolestidae fam. nov.) and reinstate another two (Rhipidolestidae stat. res., Tatocnemididae stat. res.). Additionally, we feature the problematic taxonomic groupings for examination in future studies to improve our current phylogenetic hypothesis National Science Foundation | Ref. DEB-1265714 National Science Foundation | Ref. DBI-1564386 Ministerio de Ciencia | Ref. CGL2014-53140-P Ministerio de Ciencia | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00

A comprehensive understanding of human sociality needs to embrace the coevolution of genes and culture. Recent advances in biological research about niche construction by organisms, and the development of the concepts of social niche and ethodiversity, can be integrated into a common approach to understand this coevolution, which implies the interaction between sociology and ecology in an integrative framework of knowledge. In this paper the authors propose such inclusive biosociological and heuristic framework to improve the understanding of the evolution of social niche construction. In addition, it allows a better understanding of the concept of sociotype in non-human organisms and explains some aspects of the social or presocial behavior through the concept of ethodiversity. ACR (who is 1% Inuit according to his genes) was funded by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, including ERD funds (CGL-2018-096656-B-100). Funding for open access charge: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Dragonflies and damselflies have become model organisms in ecological and evolutionary studies, mainly because they are considered flagship taxa for the conservation of water resources. Hence, how to standardize collection of odonates for the assessment of their diversity is an issue most researchers working with the group or the ecology of freshwaters may face. We aim at presenting sampling protocols that may aid researchers that are interested in sampling adults, exuviae, and larvae of Odonata. These three life phases have different detectabilities, and we propose that should be combined wherever possible.

The study was supported by the COST Action CA15113 Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams (http://www.smires.eu), funded by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). NC was supported by the French research program Make Our Planet Great Again. MC-A was supported by the MECODISPER project (CTM2017-89295-P) funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) - Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI) and cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). AC-R acknowledges funding by MINECO-AEI-ERDF (CGL2014-53140-P). CG-C was supported by the EDRF (COMPETE2020 and PT2020) and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through the CBMA strategic program UID/BIA/04050/2019 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) and the STREAMECO project (Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under climate change: from the gene to the stream, PTDC/CTA-AMB/31245/2017). JH was supported by the project 'Global taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities: unravelling spatial trends, ecological determinants and anthropogenic threats' funded by the Academy of Finland. PP and MP were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (P505-20-17305S). ZC was supported by the projects EFOP-3.6.1.-16-2016-00004, 20765-3/2018/FEKUTSTRAT and TUDFO/47138/2019-ITM. We thank two anonymous reviewers for insightful feedback that improved an earlier draft of this manuscript., Dispersal is an essential process in population and community dynamics, but is difficult to measure in the field. In freshwater ecosystems, information on biological traits related to organisms’ morphology, life history and behaviour provides useful dispersal proxies, but information remains scattered or unpublished for many taxa. We compiled information on multiple dispersal-related biological traits of European aquatic macroinvertebrates in a unique resource, the DISPERSE database. DISPERSE includes nine dispersal-related traits subdivided into 39 trait categories for 480 taxa, including Annelida, Mollusca, Platyhelminthes, and Arthropoda such as Crustacea and Insecta, generally at the genus level. Information within DISPERSE can be used to address fundamental research questions in metapopulation ecology, metacommunity ecology, macroecology and evolutionary ecology. Information on dispersal proxies can be applied to improve predictions of ecological responses to global change, and to inform improvements to biomonitoring, conservation and management strategies. The diverse sources used in DISPERSE complement existing trait databases by providing new information on dispersal traits, most of which would not otherwise be accessible to the scientific community., COST Action Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams - COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) CA15113, French research program Make Our Planet Great Again, MECODISPER project - Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) - Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI) CTM2017-89295-P, European Union (EU), MINECO-AEI-ERDF CGL2014-53140-P, EDRF (COMPETE2020), Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through the CBMA strategic program UID/BIA/04050/2019 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569), STREAMECO project (Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under climate change: from the gene to the stream) PTDC/CTA-AMB/31245/2017, project 'Global taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities: unravelling spatial trends, ecological determinants and anthropogenic threats' - Academy of Finland, Grant Agency of the Czech Republic P505-20-17305S, EDRF (PT2020), EFOP-3.6.1.-16-2016-00004, 20765-3/2018/FEKUTSTRAT, TUDFO/47138/2019-ITM

The efficiency of local augmentation releases of the egg parasitoid Anaphes nitens to control the Eucalyptus snout‐beetle Gonipterus platensis was tested in Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Galicia (NW Spain). On May–June 2006, at two localities of Pontevedra province, the release of host egg capsules parasitized by A. nitens at a potential rate of 300 adults/ha was compared with a release density of 900 adults/ha, and a control group of eucalypts not subjected to augmentation. Parasitism rate after 1–2 weeks did not significantly increase over the control plots at both localities. The high release rate did not ensure a higher crop protection and therefore could be not economically justified. On March–April 2017, at four localities of Pontevedra province, the test was replicated by releasing 300 parasitoids/ha. Parasitism level did significantly increase over the control just in one locality. Augmentation of A. nitens at small scale generally failed to achieve a higher protection from the pest, possibly due to the large extension of the E. globulus plantations, the magnitude of the G. platensis population and the fluctuations of the established parasitoid population, whose density is in turn affected by host egg availability and density‐dependent dispersal.

Invasive alien plant species have become dominant components of many landscapes, where they are indicators of ecological disequilibria. They coexist and compete with native plants, disrupting a wide range of trophic interactions, and must cope with a new array of herbivores. We examined factors influencing the occurrence of invertebrate herbivores on two invasive alien plant species, Acacia dealbata and Carpobrotus edulis, and surrounding native vegetation in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The aims were to assess the accumulation of herbivorous insects, including the distribution and frequency of herbivorous insects at different invasion levels (low, medium and high), and to evaluate whether introduced plants favour native or exotic, and generalist or specialist herbivorous insects in newly evolving plant–herbivore networks. To achieve these objectives, we surveyed A. dealbata along transects in five mixed pine forests and four shrublands, and C. edulis in nine coastal areas using quadrats. We identified nine herbivore species feeding on one or both of these species and determined that herbivore species composition in forest and coastal areas is directly tied to host preference, as well as related to invasion levels of A. dealbata in forest areas. On average, the introduced species in both the forest and coastal areas had approximately threefold more herbivore species (~ 50% of them exotics) than native plants. The introduced plants in forest areas had approximately eightfold more species interaction strength between herbivores and plants (a measure of the importance of each plant species to each herbivore). Overall, generalist herbivores were favoured by the invasion of the introduced plants. The results also demonstrate that exotic insects are supported by introduced plants, increasing the local occurrence and range of insect pests. Considering our observations, management strategies should be implemented to favour the restoration and protection of native areas for conserving biodiversity.

We studied parasitism rate by the terrestrial mite Leptus killingtoni Turk (Acari: Erythraeidae) on asexual parthenogenetic damselflies, Ischnura hastata (Say), and sexual Ischnura pumilio (Charpentier) (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) on Pico island (Azores, Portugal). We sampled 52 water bodies on the island and recorded whether Ischnura specimens were parasitized. Half of the water bodies had either dried up or were almost dry or did not have Ischnura populations. In the remaining 23 ponds, mite parasitism was extremely low, with only 3.6% of I. hastata females bearing one or more mites. Ischnura pumilio was rare on the island (61 specimens examined) and had also very few parasites (9.8% parasitism). We examined the biology of the mite and its effects on the host, by studying mite attachment behavior and seasonal abundance, in an intensive study of one pond (Lagoa do Landroal). At this pond, mite prevalence peaked at the start of the sampling period, with 32% of females of I. hastata parasitized and decreased continuously until the end of the study, when only 2% were parasitized. The analysis of mark–recapture histories of 1 748 females of I. hastata indicates that mites did not affect female survival or recapture rate. Our results suggest that L. killingtoni is unlikely to represent a significant selective factor for odonates on the island of Pico, if its density is as low as during the period of our study, although it could be relevant when it is locally abundant or during periods of outbreak.