Dragonflies and Damselflies: Model Organisms for Ecological and Evolutionary Research

This research-level text documents the latest advances in odonate biology and relates these to a broader ecological and evolutionary research agenda. Despite being one of the smallest insect orders, dragonflies offer a number of advantages for both laboratory and field studies. In fact, they continue to make a crucial contribution to the advancement of our broader understanding of insect ecology and evolution. This new edition provides a critical summary of the major advances in these fields. Contributions from many of the leading researchers in dragonfly biology offer new perspectives and paradigms as well as additional unpublished data. The editors have carefully assembled a mix of theoretical and applied chapters (including those addressing conservation and monitoring) as well as a balance of emerging (e.g. molecular evolution) and established research topics, providing suggestions for future study in each case. This accessible text is not about dragonflies per se, but rather an essential source of knowledge that describes how different sets of evolutionary and ecological principles/ideas have been tested on a particular taxon. This second edition of Dragonflies and Damselflies is suitable for graduate students and researchers in entomology, evolutionary biology, population and behavioral ecology, community ecology, and conservation biology. It will be of particular interest and use to those working on insects and an indispensable reference text for odonate biologists.