Wings of Coenagrion puella vary in shape at the northern range margin (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) 00

Christopher Hassall^a, David J. Thompson^a, Ian F. Harvey^a

Population and Evolutionary Biology Research Group , Biosciences Building, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 35-41, 2008

https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2008.9748310

Published: 1 April 2008 (Received: 25 October 2007, Accepted: 19 December 2007)

Abstract

A previous study has shown that wing size in Coenagrion puella varied considerably along a latitudinal gradient in the UK. Using landmark data from wing images, patterns of shape variation were also determined along the same transect by geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape. Wing shape was uniform at all sites other than those closest to the range margin, which differed significantly. The potential mechanisms that might have generated such between-population variation are discussed.

Keywords: Odonata, dragonfly, wing, venation, range shift, geometric morphometries, Coenagrion puella

Issue section: Article