Familiar versus cryptic substrate preference of Odonata Anisoptera nymphs in Douglas Lake

Abstract

Organisms that are subject to predation must evolve strategies to avoid predators or face extinction. Those that lack the physiology to escape at high speeds or employ physical defenses must rely on methods such as burrowing or the use of camoflage. Dragonfly mymphs, unlike their brightly-colored adult counterparts, are dully colored and must attempt to blend in with the aquatic substrate which they inhabit. Because they display cryptic coloration, dragonfly nymphs show certain preferences and aversions to different substrate types based on where they were reared and where their ability to avoid predators is greatest. This study aimed to determine the relative contributions of crypsis and habituation in nymph substrate preference. We found that familiarity played an equal, if not greater, role than crypsis in Odonate nymph substrate choice. Further studies are required to refine this underatnding of cryptic and habitual behavior.