The temperate damselfly (Ischnura elegans) is a slender, delicate insect with a metallic green or blue body and transparent wings. While it resembles a dragonfly, it is smaller, with a more fragile appearance. Researchers from the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences analysed how rising temperatures and the presence of predator cues affect the development and behaviour of this insect during its egg and larval stages. As it turns out, it can affect not only local ecosystems, but also our daily lives.
The study’s findings were published in a Nature scientific article.
Climate change and invasive species
Organisms living in seasonal environments, such as the temperate damselfly (Ischnura elegans), must navigate both the temporal constraints imposed by seasonal cycles and global environmental changes that may disrupt their ability to adapt to changing conditions to improve their chances of survival and reproduction.
The spring season is crucial for insect development for several reasons, including resource availability, favourable environmental conditions, and the life cycle of organisms in seasonal ecosystems. Global warming may not only accelerate but also shorten the duration of the spring season due to extreme weather events such as droughts and heatwaves.
A team of researchers from the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences discovered that elevated temperatures (+4°C) accelerate the development of the temperate damselfly Ischnura elegans from egg to adult, allowing them to compensate for the limitations of a shortened season.
However, the presence of chemical signals from predators, such as perch or the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) – a particularly invasive alien species in Europe –delays the damselflies’ development and reduces their survival rates, especially in the later stages of their life cycle.
Source: Wikipedia
Adaptation trade-offs and dangers
The research highlights significant trade-offs in adaptation to changing conditions. Accelerated development, driven by warming, results in lower body mass at metamorphosis, which may reduce the reproductive success and survival of adult individuals.
Moreover, the study reveals that the described effects may be delayed and mutually reinforcing, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystem conservation and understanding species interactions in the context of global environmental changes, as highlighted by Prof. Szymon Śnieguła, professor at the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in an interview with Research in Poland.
This discovery is also significant for our daily lives. Disruptions in the life cycle of insects such as the temperate damselfly Ischnura elegans can have a substantial impact on mosquito populations, which are a primary food source for dragonfly larvae and adults.
“Temperate damselflies play a crucial role in regulating mosquito populations, which is vital for our everyday lives, especially in the context of diseases transmitted by these insects,” explains Prof. Śnieguła.
Such insect behaviours can also lead to the earlier emergence of agricultural pests, making them harder to control effectively. “Our findings suggest that effective crop protection requires accounting for dynamic changes in insect life cycles caused by rising temperatures,” notes the researcher.
New strategies
Prof Szymon Śniegula, the findings are groundbreaking as they point to the necessity of considering the combined effects of predators and climate change on all stages of an organism’s development.
“Understanding these mechanisms could help develop more effective strategies for controlling invasive species by limiting their impact on local organisms,” notes Dr. Śniegula.
New strategies should also take into account the increased risks associated with interactions between different species, including predators introduced from foreign regions, which may further disrupt ecosystem balance and increase pressure on local species.
The research was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland (grant number 2019/33/B/NZ8/00521).
Read the Nature article
- Sniegula, S., Stoks, R. & Golab, M.J. Insect responses to seasonal time constraints under global change are facilitated by warming and counteracted by invasive alien predators. Sci Rep14, 24565 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76057-x
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