Secrets of Damselfly Females: The Mystery of Their Colorful Disguise Revealed by Scientists in Sweden

2024-01-20 12:56:42

Scientists at Lund University in Sweden have unveiled a mystery that explains why the females of the blue-tailed damselfly insect have such strange color changes, with one species even able to imitate the male. Just imagine, these little guys have been playing “pretend” for five million years!

First, let’s get to know the blue-tailed damselfly. Here’s a super cool thing about these little insects: the females don’t just come in one color, they come in three! One of the colors can even make them look like males, which is a huge benefit to them because it prevents them from being overly harassed. Yes, you heard it right, this is nature’s “anti-harassment” tactic!

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The team from Lund University published their research in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. By sequencing the DNA of three color forms of blue-tailed damselfly females, they found that the origins of these color changes date back at least five million years and are due to several mutations in a specific genetic region on chromosome 13. secondary mutation.

You may ask, what does all this mean for us? Well, it’s not just about the damselfly’s color. This study provides insights into how genetic diversity is maintained over time, which is important for evolutionary biology, population genetics and conservation biology. This helps us understand how species adapt to rapidly changing environments.

Caused by mutations on chromosome 13

Advertisement (Please continue reading this article) The Negal Damselfly is a species in which the female has two forms: one (we call it type O) is completely different from the male in appearance and looks like a blue-tailed damselfly; One type (type A) imitates the male. Scientists performed some high-tech DNA analysis. They compared the DNA sequences of these damselflies, specifically a specific region on their 13th chromosome. They found that within this region, type A females of both species of damselflies have unique DNA sequences that allow them to mimic the males in appearance. Moreover, this region is rich in so-called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), which are key to producing differences between different female forms. (Photo/”Natural Ecology and Evolution”)

In the future, the scientists plan to further explore how this gene affects male damselflies and other characteristics of their aquatic larval stage. Studies like this will help us better understand the evolution of not just the blue-tailed damselfly, but the entire genus of damselfly across different regions and species. These little guys are found across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America!

Erik Svensson, a biology professor who led the study, said the insect’s color changes not only fascinate the public, but also sparked research on color signals and their evolutionary consequences for mate choice and inter-sexual conflict. It seems that the world of these little insects is more complex and exciting than we imagined.

The findings of this study not only reveal how this unique biological characteristic has been preserved over the long process of evolution, but also illustrate the balancing effect of natural selection. In other words, it’s like nature’s carefully designed fashion show, with each participant having their own unique outfit to cope with the challenges of survival.

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First image source: Bob Peterson cc By4.0

Image Source:Nature Ecology & Evolutioncc By4.0

Reference papers:

1.The genomics and evolution of inter-sexual mimicry and female-limited polymorphisms in dameselflyNature Ecology & Evolution

Further reading:

1.Rare ‘hermaphrodite’ green honeybee spotted in Colombia