A new study in the journal Ecology Letters suggests that “ornamented” dragonfly species are better able to survive habitat destruction and other human threats. “It’s a strong correlation,” said co-author Kim Medley, director of Tyson Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis’ environmental field station. “Ornamented dragonflies seem to have an advantage.”
The study’s lead author is Michael Moore, a former postdoctoral researcher with the Living Earth Collaborative. As part of this work, researchers gathered 90,000 observations of dragonflies made by amateur naturalists in the Midwest, including sightings in the St. Louis area. They compared the distributions of species across different landscapes, including cities, farms and relatively wild forests and meadows.
Across the Midwest, researchers found a higher proportion of ornamented dragonflies in urban and agricultural areas, suggesting the markings offered an advantage in disturbed habitats.
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