Migration in Anisoptera

Abstract

Abstract Migration is a phenomenon that has been known for at least two centuries, but research into how and why migration takes place in dragonflies, and which individuals engage in it, has occurred only in recent decades. Some species of dragonfly have demonstrated amazing migratory behavior, moving across and between continents; this chapter reviews the history of work on some of these species (Anax junius, Pantala flavescens, and others) and uses these exemplars to explore what we know about directed dragonfly movements, and what tools have been applied to this research. The chapter explores how geography and climate influence migratory patterns and considers the population genetic implications of dragonfly migration (showing that our historic expectations of the differences between migratory and non-migratory populations are not strongly supported). It considers how migrants (and residents) may have evolved, and also ponders the impacts of reproduction on migration (and vice versa). The use of more modern genetic methods, as well as stable isotope analysis, offers new doorways into research on dragonfly migration, and will hopefully help us understand this fascinating aspect of dragonfly life history in the decades to come.