Reproductive interference across continental scales: combining citizen science and behavioural experiments to test reproductive character displacement hypotheses

Social interactions between species impact numerous ecological and evolutionary processes. For instance, wasteful reproductive interactions between species (reproductive interference) may prevent two species from coexisting in the same location unless natural selection drives divergence in traits used as mating signals. Demoiselle damselflies are a model system for studying the evolutionary consequences of social interactions between species. Yet, despite the fact that male damselflies initiate mating interactions, there has been little research into the mechanisms by which variation in female wing colour impacts male sexual responses. Consequently, there remains much unexplained spatial and temporal variation in reproductive interference, even in this model system.

For this project, the student will take the lead on developing an ongoing citizen scientist scheme (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/british-demoiselles) to quantify geographic variation in the wing coloration of female demoiselle damselflies on an unprecedented continental scale. In addition, the student will carry out fieldwork, conducting behavioural experiments to measure responses of male banded and beautiful demoiselles to variation in female wing colour. Combining these two approaches, this project will yield new insights into the evolutionary responses to reproductive interference that have made coexistence possible in these species.

Keywords: behavioural ecology, fieldwork, citizen science, reproductive character displacement, behavioural interference