# A straightforward protocol to sample morphological traits of dragonflies and damselflies in the field

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple field method to collect morphological traits of dragonflies and damselflies, improving data availability for ecological studies.

## Contribution

A new, universally applicable protocol for sampling morphological traits of Odonata in the field is introduced.

## Key findings

- The protocol collects traits like body mass, wing area, and thorax width from live specimens.
- It was tested on 76 European odonate species and found to be robust and universally applicable.
- The method supports posterior wing morphometric analyses and enhances ecological understanding.

## Abstract

Scarcity of morphological data limits the potential of functional ecology approaches, which rely on traits to elucidate ecological processes. Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) are a frequently used ecological model for which, however, only limited morphological data is available. Here, it is presented a field sampling protocol to collect ecologically relevant yet largely unavailable morphological traits of Odonata. The protocol enables the straightforward collection of traits from living individuals directly in the field. Those traits include body mass, wing area and wing loading as well as thorax width, hindwing length and body length. Furthermore, the protocol allows for posterior wing morphometric analyses. The protocol proved to be robust and universally applicable based on testing on roughly half (76) of all European odonate species. The use of this protocol can increase our understanding of odonatan morphology at interspecific and intraspecific levels and assist in developing mechanistic understanding of their ecology.