Thermoregulation in Odonata

Abstract

Abstract Odonates are prime subjects to study both the mechanisms of thermoregulation and the ecological and evolutionary responses to global climate change. Odonates use behavioral, color, and physiological strategies (e.g. using their subcuticular tracheal air sacs) to modulate internal temperature. These mechanisms can be used simultaneously and have been mainly studied in anisopteran and zygopteran adults and so there is an open niche for investigating such mechanisms in larvae. Although fairly resilient compared to other insects, adult odonates with dark colors and/or narrow thermal limits face local extinction, based on results from multi- and single species studies. Finally, we invite our readers to foster research on the following topics: a) genetics of thermoregulation; b) thermoregulation mechanisms; c) trade-offs between thermoregulation ability and other traits; and d) using odonates in the field to stimulate cultural awareness about the effects of climate on insects.