Dragonflies and Damselflies: Model Organisms for Ecological and Evolutionary Research

by Alex Cordoba-Aguilar

Overview

Dragonflies and Damselflies documents the latest advances in odonate biology and relates these to a broader ecological and evolutionary research agenda. Despite being one of the smallest insect orders, dragonflies offer a number of advantages for both laboratory and field studies. In fact, they have been crucial to the advancement of our understanding of insect ecology and evolution. This book provides a critical summary of the major advances in these fields. Contributions from many of the leading researchers in dragonfly biology offer new perspectives and paradigms as well as additional unpublished data. The editor has carefully assembled a mix of theoretical and applied chapters (including those addressing conservation and monitoring) and achieves a balance of emerging and established research topics, providing suggestions for future study in each case.

This accessible text is not about dragonflies per se but an essential source of knowledge that describes how different sets of evolutionary and ecological principles/ideas have been tested on a particular taxon. It will therefore be suitable for graduate students, and researchers in entomology, evolutionary biology, population and behavioral ecology, and conservation biology. It will of course be of particular interest and use to those working on insects and an indispensable reference for odonate biologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199230693
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	11/15/2008
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Alex Córdoba-Aguilar received his PhD from Sheffield University (UK) in 1999 and since 2003 has been working as a researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He and his students have studied the ecology and evolution of several insect species using mainly dragonflies as study subjects. Alex's major scientific interests are sexual selection, genital evolution and insect immunity.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction, Alex Córdoba-Aguilar
Studies in Ecology
2. Mark-recapture studies and demography, Adolfo Cordero-Rivera & Robby Stoks
3. Structure and dynamics of odonate communities: accessing habitat, responding to risk, and enabling reproduction, Patrick W. Crumrine, Paul V. Stwizer & Philip H. Crowley
4. Life history plasticity under time stress in damselfly larvae, Robby Stoks, Frank Johansson & Marjan De Block
5. Ecological factors limiting the distributions and abundances of Odonata, Mark A. McPeek
6. Migration in Odonata: A case study of Anax junius, Michael L. May & John H. Matthews
7. Dragonflies in the assessment and the monitoring of aquatic habitats, Beat Oertli
8. Dragonflies as focal organisms in contemporary conservation biology, Michael J. Samways
9. Valuing dragonflies as service providers, John P. Simaika and Michael J. Samways
Studies in Evolution
10. Evolution of morphological defences, Frank Johansson & Dirk Johannes Mikolajewski
11. Interspecific interactions and premating reproductive isolation, Katja Tynkkynen, Janne S. Kotiaho & Erik I. Svensson
12. Lifetime reproductive success and sexual selection theory, Walter D. Koenig
13. Fitness landscapes, mortality schedules, and mating systems, Brad R. Anholt
14. Testing hypotheses about parasite-mediated selection using odonate hosts, Mark R. Forbes & Tonia Robb
15. Cryptic female choice and sexual conflict, Alex Córdoba-Aguila & Adolfo Cordero-Rivera
16. Territoriality in Odonates, Jukka Suhonen, Markus J. Rantala & Johanna Honkavaara
17. The evolution of sex-limited colour polymorphisms, Hans Van Gossum, Tom Sherratt & Adolfo Cordero
18. Sexual size dimorphism: patterns and processes, M. Alejandro Serrano-Meneses, Alex Córdoba-Aguila & Tamas Szekely
19. Dragonfly flight performance: a model system for biomechanics, physiological genetics, and animal competitive behavior, James H. Marden
20. Evolution, diversification and mechanics of dragonfly wings, R.J. Wooton & David J. S. Newman
Appendices

Editorial Reviews

"Considering the broad range of topics...this volume would even make a suitable companion textbook to advnaced undergraduate or graduate-level courses in ecology and evolutionary biology." -- Justin Walguarney, Zoology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

From the Publisher