SpringerLink
Log in

Territoriality and male-biased sexual size dimorphism in Argia reclusa (Odonata: Zygoptera)

  • Published:
acta ethologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In Odonata, many species present sexual size dimorphism (SSD), which can be associated with male territoriality in Zygoptera. We hypothesized that in the territorial damselfly Argia reclusa, male–male competition can favor large males, and consequently, drive selection pressures to generate male-biased SSD. The study was performed at a small stream in southeastern Brazil. Males were marked, and we measured body size and assessed the quality of territories. We tested if larger territorial males (a) defended the best territories (those with more male intrusions and visiting females), (b) won more fights, and (c) mated more. Couples were collected and measured to show the occurrence of sexual size dimorphism. Results indicated that males are larger than females, and that territorial males were larger than non-territorial males. Larger territorial males won more fights and defended the best territories. There was no difference between the mating success of large territorial and small non-territorial males. Although our findings suggest that male territoriality may play a significant role on the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in A. reclusa, we suggest that other factors should also be considered to explain the evolution of SSD in damselflies, since non-territorial males are also capable of acquiring mates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alcock J (1979) Multiple mating in Calopteryx maculata (Odonata: Calopterygidae) and the advantage of non-contact guarding by males. J Nat His 13:439–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alcock J, Houston TF (1996) Mating systems and male size in Australian Hylaeine bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae). Ethology 102:591–610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alcock J (2000) Possible causes of variation in territory tenure in a lekking Pompilid wasp (Hemipepsis ustulata) (Hymenoptera). J Insect Behav 13:439–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altmman J (1974) Observational study of behaviour: sampling methods. Behaviour 49:227–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bart J, Earnst SL (1999) Relative importance of male and territory quality in pairing success of male rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 45:355–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bick GH, Bick JC (1965) Demography and behaviour of the damselfly, Argia apicalis (Say), (Odonata: Coenagriidae). Ecology 46:461–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borgia G (1982) Experimental change in resource structure and male density: size-related differences in mating success among males of Scatophaga stercoraria. Evolution 36:307–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Candolin U, Voigt HR (2001) Correlation between male size and territory quality: consequence of male competition or predation risk? Oikos 95:225–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conrad KF (1992) Relationships of larval phenology and imaginal size to male pairing success in Argia vivida Hagen (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 21:213–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Contreras-Garduño J, Buzatto B, Serrano-Meneses MA, Nájera-Cordero K, Córdoba-Aguilar A (2008) The size of the wing red spot as a heightened condition dependent trait in the American rubyspot. Behav Ecol 19:724–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corbet PS (1999) Dragonflies behaviour and ecology of Odonata. Harley, Essex

    Google Scholar 

  • Córdoba Aguilar A (2009) Seasonal variation in genital and body size, sperm displacement ability, female mating rate, and male harassment in two calopterygid damselflies (Odonata: Calopterygidae). Biol J Linn Soc 96:815–829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Córdoba-Aguilar A, Raihani G, Serrano-Meneses MA, Contreras-Garduño J (2009) The lek mating system of Hetaerina damselflies. Behaviour 146:189–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Block M, Stoks R (2007) Flight-related body morphology shapes mating success in a damselfly. Anim Behav 74:1093–1098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fincke OM (1984) Giant damselflies in a tropical forest: reproductive biology of Megaloprepus coerulatus with notes on Mecistogaster (Zygoptera: Pseudostigmatidae). Advances in Odonatology 2:13–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth A, Montgomerie RD (1987) Alternative reproductive tactics in the territorial damselfly Calopteryx maculata: sneaking by older males. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 21:73–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gribbin SD, Thompson DJ (1991) Egg size and clutch size in females of the damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula (Sulzer) (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 19:347–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Guillermo-Ferreira R, Del-Claro K (2011) Resource defense polygyny by Hetaerina rosea Selys (Odonata: Calopterygidae): influence of age and wing pigmentation. Neotrop Entomol 40:78–84

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson F, Rowe L (1999) Life history and behavioral responses to time constraints in a damselfly. Ecology 80:1242–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig W (1990) Territory size and duration in the white-tailed skimmer Plathemis Lydia (Odonata: Libellulidae). J Anim Ecol 59:317–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kratochvíl L, Frynta D (2002) Body size, male combat and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in eublepharid geckos (Squamata: Eublepharidae). Biol J Linn Soc 76:303–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuwamura T, Karino K, Nakashima Y (2000) Male morphological characteristics and mating success in a protogynous coral reef fish, Halichoeres melanurus. J Ethol 18:17–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller PL (1983) The duration of copulation correlates with other aspects of mating behaviour in Orthetrum chrysostigma (Burmeister) (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). Odonatologica 12:227–238

    Google Scholar 

  • McElligott AG, Gammell MP, Harty HC, Paini DR, Murphy DT, Walsh JT, Hayden TJ (2001) Sexual size dimorphism in fallow deer (Dama dama): do larger, heavier males gain greater mating success? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 49:266–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker GA (1974) Assessment strategy and the evolution of fighting behavior. J Theor Biol 47:223–243

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pie M, Del-Claro K (2002) Male x male agoniostic behavior in the Ricardiidae fly Sepsisoma. Stud Neotrop Fauna Environ 37:19–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plaistow SJ, Siva-Jothy MT (1996) Energetic constraints and male mate-securing tactics in the damselfly Calopteryx splendens xanthostoma (Charpentier). Proc R Soc Lond B 263:1233–1239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raihani G, Serrano-Meneses MA, Córdoba-Aguilar A (2008) Male mating tactics in the American rubyspot damselfly: territoriality, nonterritoriality and switching behaviour. Anim Behav 75:1851–1860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Severinghaus L, Kurtak BH, Eickwort GC (1981) The reproductive behavior of Anthidium manicatum (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) and the significance of size for territorial males. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 9:51–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serrano-Meneses MA, Córdoba-Aguilar A, Méndez V, Layen SJ, Székely T (2007) Sexual size dimorphism in the American Rubyspot: male body size predicts male competition and mating success. Anim Behav 73:987–997

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serrano-Meneses MA, Cordoba-Aguilar A, Azpilicueta-Amorin M, Gonzalez-Soriano E (2008a) Sexual selection, sexual size dimorphism and Rensch's rule in Odonata. J Evol Biol 21:1259–1273

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Serrano-Meneses MA, Cordoba-Aguilar A, Szekely T (2008b) Sexual size dimorphism: patterns and processes. In: Cordoba-Aguilar A (ed) Dragonflies and damselflies: model organisms for ecological and evolutionary research. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 231–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Siva-Jothy MT (1999) Male wing pigmentation may affect reproductive success via female choice in a calopterygid damselfly (Zygoptera). Behaviour 136:1365–1377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokolovska N, Rowe L, Johansson F (2000) Fitness and body size in mature odonates. Ecological Entomology 25:239–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Switzer PV (2002) Individual variation in the duration of territory occupation by males of the dragonfly Perithemis tenera (Odonata: Libellulidae). Ann Am Entomol Soc 95:628–636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Székely T, Reynolds JD, Figuerola J (2000) Sexual size dimorphism in shorebirds, gulls and alcids: the influence of sexual and natural selection. Evolution 54:1404–1413

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thornhill R (1981) Panorpa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) scorpionflies: systems for understanding resource-defense polygyny and alternative male reproductive efforts. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 12:355–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsubaki Y, Ono T (1987) Effects of age and body size on the male territorial system of the dragonfly, Nannophya pygmaea Rambur (Odonata: Libellulidae). Anim Behav 35:518–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waage JK (1973) Reproductive behaviour and its relation to territoriality in Calopteryx maculata (Beauvois). Behaviour 47:240–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe M, Taguchi M (1990) Mating tactics and male wing dimorphism in the damselfly Mnais pruinosa costalis Selys (Odonata: Calopterygidae). J Ethol 8:129–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Frederico Lencioni for insect identification and Everton Tizo-Pedroso, Pitágoras Bispo, and two anonymous referees for valuable comments. We also thank the Universidade de São Paulo–FFCLRP for logistic support. K. Del-Claro and R. Guillermo-Ferreira thank CNPq for financial support (grant/PQ) and for a doctoral fellowship, respectively.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira

  2. Instituto de Biologia-Campus Umuarama, L.E.C.I., Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Mail Box 593, CEP 38400-902, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil

    Kleber Del-Claro

Authors
  1. Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kleber Del-Claro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kleber Del-Claro.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guillermo-Ferreira, R., Del-Claro, K. Territoriality and male-biased sexual size dimorphism in Argia reclusa (Odonata: Zygoptera). acta ethol 15, 101–105 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-011-0114-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-011-0114-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation