Aim We model the ecological niches and geographic distributions of 22 of 23 Megalagrion damselfly species and explore ecological and evolutionary hypotheses that may explain patterns of diversity. Location The Hawaiian Archipelago (Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, Hawai‘i). Taxon Megalagrion damselflies (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) are an endemic Hawaiian radiation of 23 species. Methods We gathered occurrence data from GBI...

Polarization is a property of light that describes the oscillation of the electric field vector. Polarized light can be detected by many invertebrate animals, and this visual channel is widely used in nature. Insects rely on light polarization for various purposes, such as water detection, improving contrast, breaking camouflage, navigation, and signaling during mating. Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) are highly visual i...

Gene duplication plays a central role in adaptation to novel environments by providing new genetic material for functional divergence and evolution of biological complexity. Several evolutionary models have been proposed for gene duplication to explain how new gene copies are preserved by natural selection, but these models have rarely been tested using empirical data. Opsin proteins, when combined with a chromophore, form a p...

Ingley, S.J., Bybee, S.M., Tennessen, K.J., Whiting, M.F. & Branham, M.A. (2012). Life on the fly: phylogenetics and evolution of the helicopter damselflies (Odonata, Pseudostigmatidae). — Zoologica Scripta , 41 , 637–650. Helicopter damselflies (Odonata: Pseudostigmatidae) form a relatively small, yet highly specialized group of odonates, including the largest extant odonate (wingspan of ∼190 mm). Pseudostigmatids are found t...