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Mentor

Adam Siepielski

Keywords

Enallagma vesperum, injury, molting

Abstract

Injury is common in wild animals, yet some species possess an adaptive advantage: regeneration. Enallagma vesperum, a species of damselfly, exhibits this regenerative ability, though its persistence and effectiveness across developmental stages remain poorly understood. While previous studies indicate that regeneration ceases following adult emergence, it is unclear whether this ability also diminishes prior to the final larval molt. This study investigated the effectiveness of limb regeneration in E. vesperum across early and late larval instars. I hypothesized that earlier instars would exhibit greater regenerative success due to fewer competing energetic demands compared to later instars, which may prioritize resources for processes such as tissue differentiation and physiological preparation for metamorphosis. My results support this prediction, demonstrating that E. vesperum in early developmental stages exhibited much greater limb regenerative success than those in later stages. These findings highlight the role of developmental timing in shaping regenerative capacity and suggest potential trade-offs between regeneration and other growth-related processes as larvae approach metamorphosis.

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