Jessica L. Ware
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Raman Signature of the Wings of the Globe Skimmer Dragonfly: <span> <i>Pantala flavescens</i> </span> Open
Dragonfly wings are membranous and known for their exceptional robustness, primarily due to the unique nanostructure architecture and the chemical composition of the lipids on the wing's surface. Surface properties such as antimicrobial, a…
Diversification and evolution of Hawaiian <i>Megalagrion</i> damselflies ( <i>Pinapinao</i> , Odonata: Coenagrionidae) Open
Hawaiʻi's pinapinao ( Megalagrion McLachlan) comprises a radiation of 23 endemic damselfly species within Coenagrionidae. Despite being a unique study system for understanding geology's impacts on evolutionary processes among Odonata, the …
Evaluating perceptions of STEM majors to explain diversity gaps in entomology and other sciences Open
Communities working in entomology, ecology, and other natural sciences are known for having shortfalls in racial and gender diversity. We aim to uncover drivers of this diversity gap. To achieve this, we distributed a survey to undergradua…
View article: Integrating <scp>eDNA</scp> and community science to monitor urban Odonata diversity
Integrating <span>eDNA</span> and community science to monitor urban Odonata diversity Open
The study of insect decline remains a major and increasingly urgent frontier in insect biodiversity and conservation. Despite increased attention to fluctuating insect decline trends, relatively little data have been compiled about aquatic…
The secrets of the extreme durability of odonata wings Open
Essential properties considered in the design, fabrication, and application of contemporary bio/nanomaterials have been modeled on adaptations of biological systems, one of which is the robustness of insect wings. Proto-odonate wing develo…
View article: First Genomic Insights into an Aeshnidae Dragonfly: Unveiling the Genome of a Holarctic Species, Aeshna juncea
First Genomic Insights into an Aeshnidae Dragonfly: Unveiling the Genome of a Holarctic Species, Aeshna juncea Open
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…
View article: The blueprint for survival: the blue dasher dragonfly as a model for urban adaptation.
The blueprint for survival: the blue dasher dragonfly as a model for urban adaptation. Open
We confirm that P. longipennis is well equipped to deal with the stress of urban habitats, by observing large swaths of suitable habitat of P. longipennis throughout its range, both within and outside of major cities and towns, and identif…
View article: Zygoptera systematics: past, present, and future
Zygoptera systematics: past, present, and future Open
Odonata is a midsized insect order (~6420 species) containing 3 suborders: Anisoptera (dragonflies, 3,120 species), Zygoptera (damselflies, ~3,297 species), and the intermediate Anisozygoptera (~3 species). In this review of the suborder Z…
Defining the decline: a glossary relevant to insect decline Open
Insects are declining in abundance and species richness, globally. This has broad implications for the ecology of our planet, many of which we are only beginning to understand. Comprehensive, large-scale efforts are urgently needed to quan…
View article: Bringing Shadowdragons to light: Neurocordulia (Anisoptera: Corduliidae) systematics
Bringing Shadowdragons to light: Neurocordulia (Anisoptera: Corduliidae) systematics Open
Neurocordulia, commonly called shadowdragons, are crepuscular dragonflies, flying mainly at dusk. The genus comprises seven species, which occur across the eastern part of Canada and the United States. Here, we used targeted enrichment pro…
View article: The Blueprint for Survival: The Blue Dasher Dragonfly as a Model for Urban Adaptation
The Blueprint for Survival: The Blue Dasher Dragonfly as a Model for Urban Adaptation Open
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 enabl…
Looking out for the little guy: species distribution modeling and conservation implications of the elfin skimmer Nannothemis bella (Odonata: Libellulidae) Open
Nannothemis bella Uhler, 1857 (Odonata: Libellulidae), the smallest dragonfly in North America, inhabit bogs and sedge fens across their distribution, spanning from Quebec (Canada) south to Florida and west to Minnesota and Louisiana (USA)…
View article: Environmental DNA vs. Community Science: Strengths and Limitations for Urban Odonata Surveys
Environmental DNA vs. Community Science: Strengths and Limitations for Urban Odonata Surveys Open
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 i…
View article: Elevational and Oceanic Barriers Shape the Distribution, Dispersal and Diversity of Aotearoa’s Kapokapowai ( <i>Uropetala</i> ) Dragonflies
Elevational and Oceanic Barriers Shape the Distribution, Dispersal and Diversity of Aotearoa’s Kapokapowai ( <i>Uropetala</i> ) Dragonflies Open
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 s…
View article: An unusually large genome from an unusually large stonefly: A chromosome-length genome assembly for the giant salmonfly, <i>Pteronarcys californica</i> (Plecoptera: Pteronarcyidae)
An unusually large genome from an unusually large stonefly: A chromosome-length genome assembly for the giant salmonfly, <i>Pteronarcys californica</i> (Plecoptera: Pteronarcyidae) Open
Pteronarcys californica (Newport 1848) is commonly referred to as the giant salmonfly and is the largest species of stonefly (Insecta: Plecoptera) in the western United States. Historically, it was widespread and abundant in western rivers…
Species distribution models predict genetic isolation of <i>Hetaerina vulnerata</i> Hagen in Selys, 1853 (Odonata, Calopterygidae) Open
Understanding how past and current environmental conditions shape the demographic and genetic distributions of organisms facilitates our predictions of how future environmental patterns may affect populations. The Canyon Rubyspot damselfly…
Interactions between sexual signaling and body size drive ecology and evolution of wing colors in Odonata Open
Insect coloration has evolved in response to multiple pressures, and in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) a body of work supports a role of wing color in a variety of visual signals and potentially in thermoregulation. Previous efforts…
Chewing through challenges: Exploring the evolutionary pathways to wood‐feeding in insects Open
Decaying wood, while an abundant and stable resource, presents considerable nutritional challenges due to its structural rigidity, chemical recalcitrance, and low nitrogen content. Despite these challenges, certain insect lineages have suc…
Paleoecological niche modeling of Epiophlebia (Epiophlebioptera: Epiophlebiidae) reveals continuous distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum Open
Disjunct biogeographic patterns of similar species remain enigmatic within evolutionary biology. Disparate distributions typically reflect species responses to major historical events including past climate change, tectonics, dispersal, an…
Stolleagrion foghnielseni (Odonata, Cephalozygoptera, Dysagrionidae) gen. et sp. nov.: a new odonatan from the PETM recovery phase of the earliest Ypresian Fur Formation, Denmark Open
We describe the new genus and species Stolleagrion foghnielseni n. gen. et sp. from the Fur Formation in northwestern Denmark based on a single fossil wing. This is the first odonatan described from the earliest part of the PETM recovery p…
Tropical Origin, Global Diversification, and Dispersal in the Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionoidea) Revealed by a New Molecular Phylogeny Open
The processes responsible for the formation of Earth’s most conspicuous diversity pattern, the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), remain unexplored for many clades in the Tree of Life. Here, we present a densely sampled and dated molecu…
Chewing Through Challenges: Exploring the Evolutionary Pathways to Wood-Feeding in Insects Open
Decaying wood, while an abundant and stable resource, presents considerable nutritional challenges due to its structural rigidity, chemical recalcitrance, and low nitrogen content. Despite these challenges, certain insect lineages have suc…
View article: Changes in effective population size of Odonata in response to climate change revealed through genomics
Changes in effective population size of Odonata in response to climate change revealed through genomics Open
The advent of third generation sequencing technologies has led to a boom of high-quality, chromosome level genome assemblies of Odonata, but to date, these have not been widely used to estimate the demographic history of the sequenced spec…
View article: Newly Sequenced Genomes Reveal Patterns of Gene Family Expansion in Select Dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera)
Newly Sequenced Genomes Reveal Patterns of Gene Family Expansion in Select Dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera) Open
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 extr…
Review of Cyphotes Burmeister, 1835 (Hemiptera: Membracidae) with the description of a related new genus Open
The Neotropical treehopper genus Cyphotes Burmeister, 1835 (= Aspona Stal, 1862 syn. nov.) is redefined. Cyphotes contains only two species, the type species Cyphotes nodosa Burmeister, 1835 (= Aspona bullata Stål, 1862 syn. nov.) and Cyph…
Review of Nasuconia Sakakibara, 2006 (Hemiptera: Membracidae) with description of three new species Open
The treehopper genus Nasuconia Sakakibara, 2006 previously included four species and was recorded only from Brazil. Here we provide a revised diagnosis of the genus and describe three new species: Nasuconia ellenfutterae sp. nov. from Ecua…