Meeting Abstract

34.3  Sunday, Jan. 5 08:45  Important Resources of a Native Hawaiian Damselfly HENRY, E. R.*; BUTLER, M. A.; Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa; Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa erh@hawaii.edu

The blackline Hawaiian damselfly (Megalagrion nigrohamatum nigrolineatum) is a native Hawaiian damselfly that is endemic to upland streams on the island of Oahu. It is part of an ecologically diverse adaptive radiation that is spectacular with body color and ecological variation. The only significant scientific work on this genus, however, is the construction of a robust phylogeny. Unfortunately, very little is known about the natural history and behavior of any Megalagrion species. Moreover, M. n. nigrolineatum has been added onto the federal endangered species list based on concerns over habitat loss and invasive predators, although little is known about its populations. In this study, M. n. nigrolineatum was observed in the field to describe its daily and seasonal activity patterns and to gain a deeper understanding of their behaviors, microhabitat selection, and habitat use. The seasonal differences in behavior that were observed include: higher abundance, more tandem pairs, and less male-male interactions in the spring than in the fall. Daily fluctuations in damselfly abundance and perch selection remained constant regardless of the season. M. n. nigrolineatum were significantly more likely to be facing away from the stream and would select perches that were in the shade as opposed to areas in the sun. However, males were more likely to defend territories in the sun. Knowledge about their activity patterns are important for future ecological studies and conservation efforts, and the differences in behavior found in M. n. nigrolineatum leads one to wonder what other unique behavioral attributes can be found among this extremely diverse genus.