Eur. J. Entomol. 104 (3): 453-458, 2007 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2007.065

The development of sexual differences in body size in Odonata in relation to mating systems

Martin-Alejandro SERRANO-MENESES1, Mónica AZPILICUETA-AMORÍN2, Tamás SZÉKELY1, Alex CÓRDOBA-AGUILAR3
1 Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK; e-mail: mserrano@miranda.ecologia.unam.mx
2 Grupo de Ecoloxía Evolutiva e da Conservación, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, E.U.E.T. Forestal, Campus Universitario, 36005 Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
3 Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-275, C. P. 04510, México, D.F., México

Adult body size is the result of important environmental, maternal and/or genetic effects acting on animals during development. Here we investigate how sexual size dimorphism (SSD) develops in seven species of Odonata: Anax imperator, Cordulegaster boltonii, Onychogomphus uncatus, Oxygastra curtisii (Anisoptera), Cercion lindeni, Ischnura graellsii and Platycnemis acutipennis (Zygoptera). SSD of both the last larval and adult stages of the same individuals, which were reared under laboratory conditions, was measured. The aims were to investigate (i) whether SSD develops during the larval stage, (ii) the direction of larval and adult SSD, and (iii) whether the direction of adult SSD can be predicted by the mating system of a given species (e.g. males of territorial species being larger than females and the opposite for non-territorial species). We found that although larval differences in size may be present between the sexes, these are not necessarily shown in the adult stage (they may change or disappear). Also, the mating system was not related to patterns of adult SSD. Differences in SSD in larvae may be caused by differential use of resources via differential niche-utilisation or sex-specific growth patterns. We highlight the fact that sexual selection favouring large male size and fecundity selection, which selects for large females may be acting on the observed patterns in SSD in adults.

Keywords: Odonata, Anisoptera, Anax imperator, Cordulegaster boltonii, Onychogomphus uncatus, Oxygastra curtisii, Zygoptera, Cercion lindeni, Ischnura graellsii, Platycnemis acutipennis, sexual size dimorphism

Received: August 23, 2006; Revised: February 26, 2007; Accepted: February 26, 2007; Published: July 25, 2007  Show citation

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SERRANO-MENESES, M., AZPILICUETA-AMORÍN, M., SZÉKELY, T., & CÓRDOBA-AGUILAR, A. (2007). The development of sexual differences in body size in Odonata in relation to mating systems. EJE, 104(3), 453-458. doi: 10.14411/eje.2007.065
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