Die Libellenwanderung in Nordeuropa

01.02.2027 bis 31.01.2030

Insect migration remains poorly understood, particularly in temperate Europe, despite its potential importance for ecosystem functioning and its sensitivity to climate change. Dragonflies provide a promising model because they connect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, occupy important trophic positions, and include both migratory and non-migratory species. The proposed 36-month project “Dragonfly migration in northern Europe” aims to elucidate the temporal and spatial patterns, ecological consequences, and drivers of dragonfly migration along the Baltic coast and across northern Europe.

The study focuses on three putatively migratory species—Libellula quadrimaculata, Sympetrum danae, and Aeshna mixta—and contrasts them with three congeneric non-migratory species. The project will address when and where migration occurs, whether it is facultative or obligate, how migration differs from dispersal, and which factors initiate and shape migratory behaviour. Particular hypotheses concern southwestward autumn migration, chain-like migration patterns, continued movement under headwind conditions, partial migration, and the role of reproduction at migration destinations and stopover sites.

An integrated methodological framework combines stable-isotope tracing, population and landscape genomics, field monitoring, citizen-science and expert observations, morphological trait analyses, and laboratory experiments. A European hydrogen-isotope isoscape will be developed to estimate natal origins. Hydrogen and strontium isotope ratios will then be used to reconstruct migration patterns and distinguish migratory from dispersal-related movements. Population genomic and landscape-genomic analyses will characterize genetic structure, connectivity, potential source populations, and pathways. Finally, morphological measurements and controlled rearing experiments will test whether flight-related traits and larval population density, together with temperature, influence migration initiation.

The project will provide a comprehensive assessment of dragonfly migration in northern Europe and improve understanding of its ecological and evolutionary mechanisms. Its outputs will establish methodological foundations for future migration research and contribute to evaluating the implications of migratory insects for ecosystem services, including pest regulation and nutrient transfer, and their vulnerability to climate change.