No evidence of body size effects on the reproductive behaviour of a non-territorial damselfly Chalcolestes viridis

Abstract

Body size has important effects on reproductive behaviour and fitness of species. Although body size is usually advantageous for territorial species, its direct implication in determining the behaviour of non-territorial species is still not well understood. Here we investigate the reproductive behaviour of a non-territorial damselfly Chalcolestes viridis in northeast Algeria and assess the effects of body size on different behavioural and ecological components. The diurnal pattern of abundance depended on temperature and hour of the day, showing a peak within temperatures ranging between 23° and 26°C. Copulation and oviposition duration were not correlated to body size and did not change across the season. In addition, the species oviposited eggs in wooden substrates that were 150–200 cm above the water surface, and this vertical stratification was negatively correlated to branch diameter and water depth, positively correlated with water width and velocity, but was not correlated with body size and season. Our study suggests that body size might not be very relevant in shaping certain aspects of reproductive behaviour and habitat selection in non-territorial damselflies, but could influence other fitness components.