Dissertation Research: Molecular Systematics, Origin, and Conservation of the Hawaiian Damselfly Genus Megalagrion

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0073314Simon and Jordan Hawaii's active and colorful Megalagrion damselflies (pinao 'ula) have always been among the most beautiful and conspicuous insects in the islands. The roughly 23 species are unusual in that they are thought to be descended from a single colonizing ancestor that has given rise to descendants that now occupy as many different kinds of larval habitats as all other damselflies in the world put together, from swift streams, upland bogs, ponds and brackish pools, to plant leaf bases and damp leaf litter beneath fern banks. During this century, many species of Megalagrion have become locally scarce due to human disturbance. Some lowland species are no longer found on certain islands. Six species or subspecies are currently candidates for listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The genealogical relationships of the species of Megalagrion have long been debated and are problematic because of their highly variable morphological features and probable ongoing speciation. Graduate student Stephen Jordan, under the direction of Dr. Christine Simon, is studying the phylogenetic relationships of species of Megalagrion and its closest presumed relatives in the Pacific region, in relation to island geography and larval habitats. In this study, he will gather nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data for comparative measures of mutational differences among these and other Pacific area damselflies. A large body of work has accumulated concerning the use of molecular and systematic data in conservation biology. This literature and the new results will provide a basis for recommendations to resource managers working to conserve these important and vulnerable members of Hawaii's freshwater ecosystems.