Biology subjects

Ware, J. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Ware, J. L..

11 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Sex in the City: Reproductive Behaviors of Dragonflies across an Urban Landscape

Anthropogenic cityscapes provide complex habitats that influence animal communication and movement patterns, which are generally understudied in aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms. Community science, referring to public participation in scientific research, is an important tool for recording occurrence records and behavioral observations of understudied urban species. Boise, Idaho (USA), one of the fastest-growing cities in North America, has a long-established community science program for documenting occurrences of the semi-aquatic insect order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), making the city an ideal study system for comparing behavioral observations from community science with observations recorded using AI driven iNaturalist. In this study, we test the accuracy of iNaturalist observations and volunteer surveys to characterize dragonfly reproductive behaviors (tandem flight and tandem perching, oviposition, and mating) in the city, and use these observations to determine which dragonflies are using the urban landscape as reproductive habitat. The total numbers of species observations by volunteers and on iNaturalist in Boise were strongly correlated, while reproductive observations showed a strong observational threshold, as reproductive behaviors were rarely identified in less-observed species. iNaturalist tended to underrepresent total occurrences of ''flyer'' species, which rarely perch, while volunteer surveys underrepresented occurrences and reproductive behaviors of a more cyclical species that did not appear to be abundant in the field season in which this study was conducted. Our findings suggest that Boise provides suitable breeding habitat for both migratory and resident dragonflies. Species distribution models of three migratory and three putatively migratory species further demonstrate that these species would be expected in southwestern Idaho regardless of the presence of a city, and have persisted through urban development. This research demonstrates the value of community science in conducting basic research on understudied urban-dwelling species, although findings must be considered alongside potential biases.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Historical Areas of Hybridization in Two Striped Emerald Dragonfly Species

The Hine's Emerald (Somatochlora hineana) is a federally endangered North American dragonfly, which has experienced significant declines due to anthropogenic forces including human encroachment into its sensitive spring fed wetland habitat and climate change. Previous research indicates hybridization with its ecologically generalist and widespread conspecific, the Clamp-Tipped Emerald (Somatochlora tenebrosa), which may induce hybridization-mediated extinction or genetic swamping. The aim of this paper is to investigate the patterns of hybridization between S. hineana and S. tenebrosa by inferring historical species ranges using Paleoecological niche modeling (PaleoENM), examining genetic structure using haplotype networks, and determining gene flow with introgression tests, shedding light on how, why, when, or where hybridization occurs in these species. Our results reveal evidence of hybridization occurring between S. hineana and S. tenebrosa among populations in Benzie County, Michigan and a newly discovered hybrid individual in Oregon County, Missouri. PaleoENM models show patterns of contact and separation across the Pleistocene, highlighting potential hybridization events throughout periods of glaciation. Finally, Introgression tests reveal evidence for unidirectional hybridization, which may result in genetic swamping of the endangered Hine's Emerald. Such studies provide essential genetic context for conserving ecologically sensitive and endangered species, identifying conservation priorities, and determining whether hybridization and introgression pose additional threats to the long-term genetic integrity and persistence of endangered populations.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Comparative genome analyses suggest a common blueprint for obligate endoparasitism in Strepsiptera

The twisted-wing parasites (order Strepsiptera) are well-known for their unusual life histories as obligate endoparasites of a wide variety of other insect orders. Here, we present the first high-quality genome assembly of a leafhopper-parasitizing strepsipteran species. We sequenced the genome of Elenchus koebelei using PacBio HiFi technology, yielding a primary assembly of 63.7Mb in 96 contigs, with an N50 of 1.60Mb and a BUSCO completeness score of 82.3%. In total, we recovered 8,167 protein-coding gene annotations, and 34.2% of the genome annotated as repeats. For the first time, we compare the genome content of three strepsipteran species and find that they are remarkably consistent in broad structure, with approximately 600 insect universal single-copy orthologs that appear to be completely missing from the order. These similarities imply a conserved genomic blueprint for strepsipteran parasitic strategy and/or differences that must be investigated at the post-translational level.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2026

Genomics and CT imaging reveal diversity in silk genes and gland morphology of webspinners

Webspinners (Insecta: Embioptera) are an unusual insect order that are known for their subsocial behavior and prolific silk-production. Due to their unique foreleg silk glands, and spider-like ability to produce silk throughout their entire life cycle, webspinners are hypothesized to have evolved silk independently from other arthropod lineages. To date, there are no reference-quality genomes available for the order, preventing the study of their silk gene origination and diversification. Here, we assembled PacBio HiFi reference genomes and characterized the silk genes present in two webspinner species, Aposthonia ceylonica and Oligotoma nigra. The genomes reveal multiple full-length copies of the primary Embioptera silk gene, e-fibroin, that have undergone both ancestral and recent gene duplications within the group. For both species, all e-fibroin paralogs show the presence of complex repeat units consisting of multiple exons and introns that are remarkably homogenized across each gene. We also used CT-scanning of the internal silk glands to provide details concerning the localization of silk production in foreleg tarsi, and interspecific morphology. Article summaryThis study introduces the first high-quality genomes for webspinners, enabling new research on silk for evolutionary biologists and materials scientists alike. The authors sequenced two embiopteran species, Aposthonia ceylonica and Oligotoma nigra, to compare silk genes and gland structure using micro-computed tomography, an imaging method that shows internal anatomy in detail. They found multiple copies of the primary silk gene in both species that likely arose from multiple duplication events at different evolutionary times. These silk genes exhibit unusual gene structure with hierarchically organized repeat units that are highly homogenized within a gene. The findings show that silk genes have a complex evolutionary history in webspinners and provide a foundation for studying silk diversity within the order, and in the broader context of insect silk.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

First Genomic Insights into an Aeshnidae Dragonfly: Unveiling the Genome of a Holarctic Species, Aeshna juncea

Temperature oscillations in the Arctic may present a unique opportunity to study how insect species respond to such changes. Aeshna juncea, a Holarctic species of the family Aeshnidae thrives in this environment; molecular adaptations that allow it to survive in the Arctic have yet to be evaluated. Here, we present the first assembled and annotated draft genome assembly and annotation of A. juncea. The assembly is both highly contiguous and complete. This resource is presented and used here to provide further evidence that transposons and unclassified repetitive elements are a major driver behind genome size variation in Odonata and show that the effective population size of A. juncea populations from Alaska went through bottlenecks during the most recent ice age. We believe this genome will be an important resource in understanding how species like Aeshna juncea survive in Arctic habitats.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

The Blueprint for Survival: The Blue Dasher Dragonfly as a Model for Urban Adaptation

Human alteration of natural environments and habitats is a major driver of species decline. However, a handful of species thrive in human altered environments. The biology, distribution, population structure, and molecular adaptations enabling certain species to thrive in human-altered habitats are not well understood. Here, we evaluate the population and functional genomics, ecological niche and distributions, and geometric morphometrics of the blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), one of the most ubiquitously observed insects in human altered habitats. Using resequencing data we identify a number of genes involved with the success of the blue dasher in human altered habitats, including loci contributing to immune function and response to oxidative stress. Some genes related to these functions are found in regions of strong population structure, while others are not, potentially indicating both regional and widespread adaptations to urban environments within this species. Using one of the most robust locality datasets for any species to date, we also generate habitat suitability predictions which show that P. longipennis has spread with urbanization, suggesting humans have created suitable habitat for this species. These results complement morphological and genomic data showing P. longipennis (particularly East of the Rocky Mountains) has the capacity to rapidly disperse to newly suitable habitats. Given the shared barriers to colonizing an urban habitat, we expect that many of the adaptations we have identified in P. longipennis can be used for predicting what animals might succeed in urban habitats more generally.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Environmental DNA vs. Community Science: Strengths and Limitations for Urban Odonata Surveys

The study of insect decline remains a major frontier in insect biodiversity and conservation. Despite growing concern about accelerating rates of insect decline generally, relatively little data has been compiled about species of aquatic insects. Data is particularly lacking on the distribution of aquatic insects in urban ecosystems. Here, we compare environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding and community science observation as means of monitoring Odonata within an urban system in Southwest Idaho. We show that the distribution of Odonata across this urban landscape is not uniform and that both monitoring methods have different strengths and weaknesses. We found that eDNA metabarcoding was very sensitive to the identification of genera from underrepresented families in the region, but was unable to distinguish between closely related genera, particularly from localities where eDNA could accumulate more damage. On the other hand, community science observations effectively identified the presence of genera from more speciose families but missed the presence of relatively rare species, and those that had a short flight season. These findings suggest that, in our study system, eDNA and community science are highly complementary of each other. In cases where only one method is employed for a monitoring or conservation project, care should be given to account for the biases of each approach.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Elevational and Oceanic Barriers Shape the Distribution, Dispersal and Diversity of Aotearoa's Kapokapowai (Uropetala) Dragonflies

Mountains and islands provide an opportunity for studying the biogeography of diversification and population fragmentation. Aotearoa (New Zealand) is an excellent location to investigate both phenomena due to alpine emergence and oceanic separation. While it would be expected that separation across oceanic and elevation gradients are major barriers to gene flow in animals, including aquatic insects, such hypotheses have not been thoroughly tested in these taxa. By integrating population genomic from sub-genomic Anchored-Hybrid Enrichment sequencing, ecological niche modeling, and morphological analyses from scanning-electron microscopy, we show that tectonic uplift and oceanic vicariance are implicated in speciation and population structure in Kapokapowai (Uropetala) dragonflies. Although Te Moana o Raukawa (Cook Strait), is likely responsible for some of the genetic structure observed, speciation has not yet occurred in populations separated by the strait. We find that the altitudinal gradient across K[a] Tiritiri-o-te-Moana (the Southern Alps) is not impervious but it significantly restricts gene flow between aforementioned species. Our data support the hypothesis of an active colonization of K[a] Tiritiri-o-te-Moana by the ancestral population of Kapokapowai, followed by a recolonization of the lowlands. These findings provide key foundations for the study of lineages endemic to Aotearoa.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Newly Sequenced Genomes Reveal Patterns of Gene Family Expansion in select Dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera)

Gene family evolution plays a key role in shaping patterns of biodiversity across the tree of life. In Insecta, adaptive gene family turnover has broadly been tied to vision, diet, pesticide resistance, immune response and survival in extreme environments. Patterns of gene family evolution are of particular interest in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), which represents the first lineage to fly, and one of the most exceptional groups of predators. Previous work in Odonata found expansions of opsin genes are correlated with the diversification of the herbivorous insects that Odonata prey upon, but general trends in gene family turnover has not been studied in this order. Here, we show that two families of suborder Anisoptera (dragonflies), Libellulidae and Petaluridae, have expanded gene repertoire related to their unique life history and diversification patterns. These results are an important step towards understanding why Libellulidae is, generally, a species rich family of short lived species that are highly tolerant to poor water quality, while Petaluridae is a species poor family of habitat and behavioral specialists. Specifically, Libellulidae share expanded gene families related to immune response, desiccation response, and processing of free radicals, which all potentially enable many Libellulidae to inhabit low quality water bodies. Likewise, Petaluridae show unique patterns of gene turnover in gene families implicated in sensory perception, which could be tied to the unique semi-terrestrial lifestyle of the nymphs of this family. Furthermore, Odonata as a whole has a gene gene turnover rate that is an order of magnitude smaller than other studied insect orders, potentially contributing to the relatively low species diversity in the order Odonata compared to other insects. These results offer important hypotheses for the consideration of evolutionary drivers across Insecta.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A Chromosome-length Assembly of the Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) Dragonfly

We present a chromosome-length genome assembly and annotation of the Black Petaltail dragonfly (Tanypteryx hageni). This habitat specialist diverged from its sister species over 70 million years ago, and separated from the most closely related Odonata with a reference genome 150 million years ago. Using PacBio HiFi reads and Hi-C data for scaffolding we produce one of the most high quality Odonata genomes to date. A scaffold N50 of 206.6 Mb and a BUSCO score of 96.8% indicate high contiguity and completeness. SignificanceWe provide a chromosome-length assembly of the Black Petaltail dragonfly (Tanypteryx hageni), the first genome assembly for any non-libelluloid dragonfly. The Black Petaltail diverged from its sister species over 70 million years ago. T. hageni, like its confamilials, occupies fen habitats in its nymphal stage, a life history uncommon in the vast majority of dragonflies. We hope that the availability of this assembly will facilitate research on T. hageni and other petaltail species, to better understand their ecology and support conservation efforts.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

Phylogenetic synecdoche demonstrates optimality of subsampling and improves recovery of the Blaberoidea phylogeny

Phylogenomics seeks to use next-generation data to robustly infer an organisms evolutionary history. Yet, the practical caveats of phylogenomics motivates investigation of improved efficiency, particularly when quality of phylogenies are questionable. To achieve improvements, one goal is to maintain or enhance the quality of phylogenetic inference while severely reducing dataset size. We approach this goal by designing an optimized subsample of data with an experimental design whose results are determined on the basis of phylogenetic synecdoche - a comparison of phylogenies inferred from a subsample to phylogenies inferred from the entire dataset. We examine locus mutation rate, saturation, evolutionary divergence, rate heterogeneity, selection, and a priori information content as traits that may determine optimality. Our controlled experimental design is based on 265 loci for 102 blaberoidean cockroaches and 22 outgroup species. High phylogenetic utility is demonstrated by loci with high mutation rate, low saturation, low sequence distance, low rate heterogeneity, and low selection. We found that some phylogenetic information content estimators may not be meaningful for assessing information content a priori. We use these findings to design concatenated datasets with an optimized subsample of 100 loci. The tree inferred from the optimized subsample alignment was largely identical to that inferred from all 265 loci but with less evidence of long branch attraction and improved statistical support. In sum, optimized subsampling can improve tree quality while reducing data collection costs and yielding 4-6x improvements to computation time in tree inference and bootstrapping.

evolutionary biology↗