Ode to Odonata An Examination of the Odonata Population in Vermont Streams Olive Capone and Shannon Collins –Rice Memorial High School Research on Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC) 2013‐2014 Special thanks to Sharon and Evelyn Boardman Odonata as % of Sample 0.18 0.27 Percent Representative Odonata Families 0.28 0.1 0.25 0.48 CTJW_HllsBrk_713 Anisoptera Cordulegastridae LCD_BrtltBrk_139 15.2 18.2 Anisoptera Aeshnidae LCD_IndBrk_323 4.44 LCD_PndBrk_179 18.2 Anisoptera Libellulidae 6.5 LCD_PoBrk_179 A Natural WR_DwvllBrk_649 Anisoptera Gomphidae WR_LtlRiv_696 9.1 39.4 WR_LzBrk_809 Zygoptera Coenagrionidae WR_WBLRTribA_725 History 2.5 Life Cycle: Odonata lay eggs, which hatch to become nymphs. Most odonata live more than a year, and most of this time is spent as nymphs, underwater. To become adult dragonflies, nymphs Odonata Population in grow wings and get rid of their gills. Adult odonata live during the summer, mainly in temperate /6 climates. Vermont Streams Evolutionary History Interaction with the Question: The oldest recognizable Odonata fossils are from the What is the distribution and diversity of Order Odonata are usually group Protodonata, and are approximately 325 million Environment: Odonata in Vermont Streams? found near freshwater lakes, ponds, and sill water years old. The fossils, found in Upper Carboniferous in streams. An ecosystem is usually in good Methods: sediments in Europe, show insects that were built for condition if odanata are present, as pollution has a • Identify which streams were being investigated Difference between speed, had spiny legs for capturing prey, and had great effect on odonata. by the 2013 – 2014 RACC High School Teams wingspans of up 75 centimeters. This group went extinct • Download all current and historic data for those in the Triassic period, which happens to be when Eating Habits: streams Dragonflies and dinosaurs started appearing. Other fossilized ancestors of Odonata are carnivores, and eat ants, mayflies, • Analyze data for members of Odonata Odonata include Protoanisoptera, which were also found caddisflies, gnats, mosquitos, tadpoles, butterflies, in Carboniferous layers. They also had huge wingspans and many other insects. Analysis: Damselflies compared to today’s insects‐‐fifty to seventy centimeters‐ Of 21 streams that were investigated in the past year, 12 ‐and they did not have the wing notches and other wing • Tolerance: Dragonflies are more sensitive to pollution and Mating Habits: were found to have macroinvertebrate data at the time features that modern Odonata have. cold weather than damselflies are. There is much competition between males in the data analysis took place. Of these, 9 reported having Since about 250 million years ago, Odonata have not • Mating: Damselflies mate while perched, while dragonflies mating. Where the females lay their eggs depends some members of Odonata. changed much in structure and shape, but one significant mate while flying. much on the acidity of the water, as well as the Odonata ranged from 0.10 –6.50 % of the collective development has been aquatic larvae. Many researchers • Morphological: Dragonflies have larger abdomen, and their abundance and kind of vegetation, temperature, samples. While Odonata comprised a small sample of believe that Protodonata and other ancestors of modern back wings are slightly larger than the front pair. Their wings and flow rate of the water. the reported population, Dragonflies and Damselflies are Odonata did not have aquatic larvae, because no fossils are also larger over all which enables them to fly faster. commonly seen hunting along the streams during the of such larvae appear before the Mesozoic era. Predators: Damselflies tend to be more slender, and have smaller summer sampling season. Therefore, it is believed that Odonata evolved to have an The main predators of odonata include frogs, wings, with both pairs the same size and shape. Four families of Dragonflies (Suborder Zygoptera) and one family aquatic larval stage because much of their prey lived in birds, lizards, spiders, fish, water bugs, and even • Perching: Damselflies fold their wings when they perch, of Damselfly (Suborder Anisoptera) were represented in the RACC aquatic habitats. other odonata. while Dragonflies leave their wings unfolded. database. Four streams had only one family, and 4 streams had Whatever the specifics of the evolution of Odonata, only Bodies: 2 families. Only one stream had all four families (Potash Brook). three members of this ancient group still exist today: References Anisoptera (Dragonflies), Zygoptera (Damselflies), and Odonata have large eyes, short antennae, six legs Conclusion: Anisozygoptera. used for perching or catching food, long <http://smallstreamreflections.blogspot.com> March 9 Since Odonata are seen commonly on streams in the summer <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida.html> March 9 abdomens, and two pairs of wings. Odonata can in Vermont, it was expected that there would be larger <http://www.dragonfly‐site.com/dragonfly‐life‐cycle.html> March 9 fly up to 30 miles per hour and rely heavily on <http://www.dragonfly‐site.com/dragonfly‐life‐cycle.html> March 10 percentages in the database. However, since the members <http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Damselfly‐life‐cycle> March 10 their sense of sight, hence the large eyes. <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida.html> March 10 tend to lay their eggs in shallow water on the margins of <http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Odonata&contgroup=Pterygota> March 10 <http://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/big‐big‐bugs> March 10 streams, it makes sense that the kick samples, primarily <http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Odonata> March 11 <http://kapionews.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/purple‐dragonfly/> March 11 collected in riffles, would have fewer Odonata larvae. <http://www.uvm.edu/~epscor/ds/secure_dir_007.php?file=.staff/open/cwdd/Photos%2 0for%20website/HS/2013_Basemap_sites.jpg> March 15 Funding provided by NSF Grant EPS‐1101317..