Effects of seasonal timing and latitude on body size in Ischnura damselflies in Europe (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo ; Dyatlova, Olena ; Svensson, Erik I. LU
; van Gossum, Hans
and Utzeri, Carlo
(2026)
In Odonatologica
55(1-2).
p.49-67
- Abstract
Abstract.– In ectothermic invertebrates, high temperatures generally accelerate developmental rates and decrease adult body sizes. However, such temperature effects on body size could have contrasting fitness effects in the two sexes, as under certain circumstances in some species small males may have higher mating success, but large female insects almost invariably have higher fecundity. Here we analyse changes in body length of Ischnura elegans along a latitudinal gradient in Europe and throughout the year. We focus on populations in Sweden (2), Ukraine (2), Belgium (1), Spain (2), and Italy (2). Furthermore, two populations of the sympatric I. graellsii from Spain were also studied. The effect of latitude on size was idiosyncratic:... (More)
Abstract.– In ectothermic invertebrates, high temperatures generally accelerate developmental rates and decrease adult body sizes. However, such temperature effects on body size could have contrasting fitness effects in the two sexes, as under certain circumstances in some species small males may have higher mating success, but large female insects almost invariably have higher fecundity. Here we analyse changes in body length of Ischnura elegans along a latitudinal gradient in Europe and throughout the year. We focus on populations in Sweden (2), Ukraine (2), Belgium (1), Spain (2), and Italy (2). Furthermore, two populations of the sympatric I. graellsii from Spain were also studied. The effect of latitude on size was idiosyncratic: body size decreased from Sweden to Belgium but in Ukraine the first adults to emerge were largest and their size decreased again towards Spain and Italy. The largest individuals generally were those that emerged at the beginning of the breeding season. In the south, there was a tendency for body size to increase again towards the end of summer or early autumn, which was not observed at more northerly latitudes. On average, females were larger than males. However, in Italy, seasonal size change between the sexes diverged with females, but not males, increasing in size towards autumn, and the two populations from Ukraine showed divergent trends with respect to size and season. Females of the aurantiaca morph were smaller than androchromes and infuscans. These results suggest that in addition to latitude and its global effects on temperature, local factors also shape seasonal variation of body size of Ischnura adults, resulting in synchronously different body sizes even between geographically close populations.
(Less)
- author
- Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo
; Dyatlova, Olena
; Svensson, Erik I.
LU
; van Gossum, Hans
and Utzeri, Carlo
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-06
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- body length, date, sexual conflict, temperature, Zygoptera
- in
- Odonatologica
- volume
- 55
- issue
- 1-2
- pages
- 19 pages
- publisher
- Societas Internationalis Odonatologica
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105042248048
- ISSN
- 0375-0183
- DOI
- 10.60024/odon.v55i1-2.a3
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 542a9323-d2d8-40b5-9574-0c8e1b0dd831
- date added to LUP
- 2026-09-02 10:20:43
- date last changed
- 2026-09-02 10:21:28
@article{542a9323-d2d8-40b5-9574-0c8e1b0dd831,
abstract = {{<p>Abstract.– In ectothermic invertebrates, high temperatures generally accelerate developmental rates and decrease adult body sizes. However, such temperature effects on body size could have contrasting fitness effects in the two sexes, as under certain circumstances in some species small males may have higher mating success, but large female insects almost invariably have higher fecundity. Here we analyse changes in body length of Ischnura elegans along a latitudinal gradient in Europe and throughout the year. We focus on populations in Sweden (2), Ukraine (2), Belgium (1), Spain (2), and Italy (2). Furthermore, two populations of the sympatric I. graellsii from Spain were also studied. The effect of latitude on size was idiosyncratic: body size decreased from Sweden to Belgium but in Ukraine the first adults to emerge were largest and their size decreased again towards Spain and Italy. The largest individuals generally were those that emerged at the beginning of the breeding season. In the south, there was a tendency for body size to increase again towards the end of summer or early autumn, which was not observed at more northerly latitudes. On average, females were larger than males. However, in Italy, seasonal size change between the sexes diverged with females, but not males, increasing in size towards autumn, and the two populations from Ukraine showed divergent trends with respect to size and season. Females of the aurantiaca morph were smaller than androchromes and infuscans. These results suggest that in addition to latitude and its global effects on temperature, local factors also shape seasonal variation of body size of Ischnura adults, resulting in synchronously different body sizes even between geographically close populations.</p>}},
author = {{Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo and Dyatlova, Olena and Svensson, Erik I. and van Gossum, Hans and Utzeri, Carlo}},
issn = {{0375-0183}},
keywords = {{body length; date; sexual conflict; temperature; Zygoptera}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1-2}},
pages = {{49--67}},
publisher = {{Societas Internationalis Odonatologica}},
series = {{Odonatologica}},
title = {{Effects of seasonal timing and latitude on body size in Ischnura damselflies in Europe (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.60024/odon.v55i1-2.a3}},
doi = {{10.60024/odon.v55i1-2.a3}},
volume = {{55}},
year = {{2026}},
}