A matter of suborder: are Zygoptera and Anisoptera larvae influenced by riparian vegetation in Neotropical Savanna streams?

Initial Odonata larval distributions are primarily influenced by adult females at the moment of oviposition. However, after oviposition, the larvae are strongly associated with environmental conditions. In the case of both adults and larvae, anthropogenic disturbances that change these conditions may alter the composition and structure of Odonata assemblages. Therefore, based on the differing environmental requirements of Zygoptera and Anisoptera adults and larvae, together with their morphological and physiological differences, we suspected differing riparian preferences of larvae and adults for each suborder. We evaluated the richness and abundance of Odonata larvae. We hypothesized that Zygoptera larvae would have greater richness and abundance in streams with canopy shading, lower temperature ranges, and high physical habitat heterogeneity. On the other hand, Anisoptera larvae would be more abundant in streams without canopy cover. We sampled 186 headwater stream sites in the Neotropical Savanna along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient and used a model selection approach to test our hypotheses, correlating environmental metrics with Odonata larval richness and abundance. We found higher richness of Zygoptera larvae in shaded sites with canopy cover > 5 m high, whereas bare ground without riparian vegetation was important for Anisoptera richness and abundance. Our results indicated that Odonata larvae follow the same distribution, richness and abundance patterns as adults. Anthropogenic disturbances related to the removal or reduction of riparian vegetation can favor Anisoptera over Zygoptera larval assemblages in streams. Preserving riparian canopy cover is needed to maintain the richness of Zygoptera larvae in Neotropical Savanna streams.