Topic
Lestes
About: Lestes is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 97 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2166 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: The results suggest that both behaviorally mediated and direct responses to biotic factors and time constraints are a feature of the life history of this damselfly.
Abstract: Optimal values for life history traits are expected to depend upon environ- mental conditions during development and the period within which development is con- strained (e.g., biotic factors and time constraints, respectively). Theory predicts that life history responses to both biotic factors and time constraints may be both direct and be- haviorally mediated. Few experimental studies of life histories have considered the joint effects of biotic factors and time constraints, and fewer still have been able to disentangle direct from behaviorally mediated effects. We studied such interactions by manipulating the perceived time to the onset of winter, predation risk, and food resources level in larvae of the damselfly Lestes sponsa. In the first experiment (predation 3 time constraint), the presence of a predator caused an overall reduction in foraging activity, development rate, and mass at emergence. However, larvae that had less time available before the end of the season, increased foraging activity and development rate, while mass at emergence de- creased. These results suggest that the observed changes in life history characters were behaviorally mediated in the presence of predators. In contrast, life history responses of time-constrained larvae occurred independently of the behavioral changes and, therefore, were direct. In the second experiment (food level 3 time constraint) larvae under high food levels had a higher foraging activity, increased development rate, and higher growth rates, compared to low food-level treatments. Time-constrained larvae accelerated devel- opment and had a smaller mass at emergence at high food levels than larvae that were not time constrained. In contrast, and opposite to predictions, time-constrained larvae at low food levels had the slowest development rate and the largest mass at emergence. We suggest that larvae in the latter group were aiming to delay emergence to the next season (cohort splitting). Our results suggest that both behaviorally mediated and direct responses to biotic factors and time constraints are a feature of the life history of this damselfly.
224 citations
TL;DR: Results show that life history constraints and predation both shape the distributions of Lestes species along the pond permanence gradient in New England, and discusses the importance of this freshwater habitat gradient in shaping local and regional species diversity.
Abstract: Survey data from New England showed that assemblages of Lestes damselflies are organized along the entire gradient of pond permanence and predator presence. One assemblage occupies vernal ponds lacking large dragonfly predators and fish; four are largely confined to temporary ponds that typically contain dragonfly predators; one dominates fishless permanent ponds and lakes where dragonflies are the top predators; and one dominates permanent ponds and lakes where fish are the top predators. We determined the role of life history and predation in maintaining this striking pattern by conducting a series of transplant experiments in the field and a laboratory experiment manipulating presence and absence of local predators. Life history (1) shaped the ability of species to cope with drying regime, thereby excluding temporary-pond Lestes from vernal ponds and permanent-water Lestes from temporary ponds, and (2) generated size differences among species due to differences in the timing of hatching. This mediated the exclusion of temporary-pond Lestes from permanent water bodies through asymmetric intraguild predation by permanent-water Lestes. Dragonfly predation on permanent-water Lestes had an indirect positive effect on the survival of temporary-pond Lestes; however, this effect apparently is too small to allow coexistence of both Lestes groups. Predation by large dragonfly larvae excluded the Lestes species of vernal ponds from temporary ponds, and differential vulnerability to large dragonfly larvae and fish shaped the reciprocal dominance of L. eurinus and L. vigilax in fishless and fish-containing permanent water bodies, respectively. Taken together, these results show that life history constraints and predation both shape the distributions of Lestes species along the pond permanence gradient in New England. We discuss the importance of this freshwater habitat gradient in shaping local and regional species diversity.
Corresponding Editor: S. I. Dodson.
149 citations
TL;DR: In a comparison of newly emerged with sexually mature adults, it was found that the latter had higher hemocyte loads but lower phenoloxidase expression than the former, which might be explained by gender differences in life history.
Abstract: Immunity is a crucial determinant of fitness. Despite this, very few studies have addressed the expression of immune function in insect populations in the wild. I present data on two immune parameters, hemocyte load and expression of phenoloxidase, in adult damselflies (Lestes viridis) from a wild population. In a comparison of newly emerged with sexually mature adults, it was found that the latter had higher hemocyte loads but lower phenoloxidase expression. Mature females showed significantly higher phenoloxidase expression than mature males. The sexual differences might be explained by gender differences in life history.
110 citations
TL;DR: Results showed that behavioral syndromes can carry over from larvae through metamorphosis and dictate the BT of the adult, demonstrating how a behavioral syndrome may constrain behavioral plasticity.
Abstract: Activity is an important behavioral trait that mediates a trade-off between obtaining food for growth and avoiding predation. Active individuals usually experience a higher encounter rate with food ...
107 citations
TL;DR: The results of this study suggest that Lestes began in temporary ponds where large dragonflies are the top predators, while Enallagma began in permanent lakes where fish are theTop predators, and that reciprocal shifts between alternative selection regimes are not necessarily evolutionary opposites.
Abstract: The Enallagma and Lestes damselflies have both diversified and adapted over the past 10–15 million years to the various ecological milieus found along the pond permanence gradient among North American ponds and lakes. Previous articles have explored this diversification process for Enallagma. In this article, we present a phylogenetic hypothesis for the North American Lestes, use this hypothesis to reconstruct Lestes diversification, and compare the diversification processes inferred for Lestes and Enallagma. The results of this study suggest that Lestes began in temporary ponds where large dragonflies are the top predators, while Enallagma began in permanent lakes where fish are the top predators. Starting from these different ancestral habitats, both genera have invaded and adapted to habitats already occupied by the other genus. Moreover, these adaptive habitat shifts involved substantial convergence on the behaviors used to deal with fish and dragonfly predation in both genera and a major li...
101 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2015 | 5 |