Contrasting evolutionary dynamics of reproductive and non-reproductive traits
in hybridizing damselflies

Abstract

Sexual and natural selection jointly contribute to the rapid evolution of mating-related traits, making hybridizing systems particularly informative for exploring how different classes of traits diverge during early speciation. The damselflies Ischnura elegans and Ischnura graellsii form two hybrid zones in Spain that differ in demographic structure and spatial genetic patterns, providing a natural framework to compare patterns of divergence in reproductive (male caudal appendages and the female prothorax) and non-reproductive (wings) traits. Using geometric morphometrics within a phylogenetic comparative framework, together with population genetic information, we compared evolutionary integration, rates of divergence, and evolutionary dynamics across traits and species. In I. elegans, both the shape and size of male caudal appendages and the female prothorax evolved in strong evolutionary correlation, whereas in I. graellsii this association was restricted to shape. Reproductive structures evolved at significantly higher rates than wings, indicating greater evolutionary lability in traits directly involved in mating. Evolutionary model comparisons revealed contrasting dynamics between shape and size, suggesting that multiple processes contribute to trait divergence rather than a single dominant mechanism. Estimates of isolation by distance and gene flow revealed contrasting demographic contexts between species, with I. elegans showing more restricted gene flow than I. graellsii. Overall, our findings suggest that reproductive and non-reproductive traits differ in their evolutionary integration, rates, and dynamics, highlighting how trait-specific evolutionary patterns and demographic context contribute to morphological divergence in recently diverged taxa.

Keywords. Odonata, hybrid zones, lock-and-key mechanism, phylogenetic comparative methods, reinforcement, speciation

Issue section: Original Article

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