Experimental data on time constraint, predator, and pollutant stress effects across life stages in the damselfly Lestes sponsa
Data files
Oct 23, 2025 version files 163.73 KB
-
Less22-lifehistory-physiology.xlsx
84.18 KB
-
lestes22-behaviour.xlsx
50.24 KB
-
README.md
6.76 KB
-
Survival-14days.xlsx
22.56 KB
Abstract
This dataset accompanies an experimental study examining the effects of multiple co-occurring stressors—predation risk, copper pollution, and seasonal time constraints—across life stages of the damselfly Lestes sponsa. It includes data on egg hatching time, larval survival, growth rates, behavioural metrics (activity, resting, freezing, and feeding rates), and physiological traits (oxidative damage, cellular energy allocation). The dataset is structured by treatment groups: combinations of predator cue exposure (egg and/or larval stages), copper exposure (larval stage only), and photoperiod regimes simulating early- and late-season development. Data are organized by individual ID with detailed metadata describing variables and units. This dataset supports studies in ecological stress physiology, life-history evolution, and trait plasticity. It is reusable for meta-analyses or comparative work on carry-over effects, trait integration, or stressor interactions in aquatic insects. There are no legal or ethical restrictions associated with this dataset.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffx7
Description of the data and file structure
The data were collected through a fully factorial laboratory experiment on the damselfly Lestes sponsa to investigate the immediate and carry-over effects of environmental stressors. Eggs and larvae were exposed to predator cues (from the spiny-cheek crayfish), copper pollution, and two photoperiod regimes simulating early- and late-season time constraints. Behavioural, physiological, and life-history traits were measured at multiple time points, including egg development, larval growth, survival, activity patterns, and physiological stress markers. The experiment was designed to disentangle the individual and interactive effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors across developmental stages.
Files and variables
File: Less22-lifehistory-physiology.xlsx
Description: egg and larval life history and physiological parameters
Variables
- ID: sample ID (E: Early photoperiod (weak time constraint), L: late photoperiod (strong time constraint), C: control, S: spinycheek predator cue treatment, M: Metal treatment)
- Collection: date of damselfly collection from the field
- Oviposit.date: the date of egg oviposition
- Temp: Temperature during the experiment in the environmental chamber in Celcius
- Hatch.date: the date when the egg hatched into a larva
- Died.date: date when larva died
- Egg_treatment: treatment during egg stage (C Control: no predator treatment, S Spiny: predator treatment (spiny-cheek crayfish predator cue)
- Predator_egg_YN: Yes: larva was introduced to predator cue treatment during egg stage, No: larva wasn’t introduced to predator cue treatment during egg stage.
- Larval_treatment: treatment during 5 days of larval treatment after introducing F-0 instar (C Control: no predator treatment, S Predator: predator treatment (spiny-cheek crayfish predator cue, M Metal: copper treatment, SM Metal+predator: Combined treatments of predator and metal)
- Metal_larvae: Yes, larva was introduced to metal treatment during the 5 days of larvae treatment after introducing F-0 instar. No: larva wasn’t introduced to metal treatment during the 5 days of larval treatment after introducing F-0 instar.
- Predator_larvae: Yes, larva was introduced to the predator treatment during the 5 days of larvae treatment after introducing F-0 instar. No: larva wasn’t introduced predator treatment during the 5 days of larval treatment after introducing F-0 instar.
- TC: period available for growth and development, (photoperiod), weak: early photoperiod, Strong: late photoperiod
- Survival_F0: survival at introducing the F-0 instar (1: survived (alive), 0: not survived (died))
- Survival_end: survival at the end of the experiment after 5 days from introducing the F-0 instar (1: survived (alive), 0: not survived (died))
- F1.date: the date when larvae reached the pre-final larval instar F-1.
- F0.date: the date when larvae reached the final larval instar F-0.
- Mass.1: larval mass at introducing F-0 instar (mg)
- Sex: larval sex (M: male, F: female)
- Dev.time: development time of larvae from hatching to the entrance of F-0 instar (days)
- Fat: measure of fat content in larval tissue (mg/mg)
- T. sugar: measure the total sugar (glucose + glycogen) in larval tissue (mg/mg)
- Protein: measure of protein content in larval tissue (mg/mg)
- ETS: Electron transport system- an estimate of the metabolic rate
- MDA: Measure of oxidative damage to lipids by measuring the amount of malondialdehyde in larval tissue (nmol/ mg)
- CEA: Cellular energy allocation, an estimate of the net energy budget (unitless index-ratio)
File: lestes22-behaviour.xlsx
Description: larval behavioural parameters
Variables
- ID: sample ID (E: Early photoperiod, L: late photoperiod, C: control, S: spinycheek predator cue treatment, M: Metal treatment)
- Distance moved: the movement relative to the centre point of each organism’s body (cm).
- Z_distance moved: Z-score of distance moved. (Z-score standardizes a value by subtracting the mean and dividing by the standard deviation)
- Velocity: the mean speed during the times when larvae were moving (cm/sec)
- Z_velocity: Z score of velocity
- Movement time: the time when larvae were moving (sec)
- Z_movement: Z score of movement time
- Activity: averaging the Z-scores for the distance moved, velocity, and movement time to be included as “activity”
- Resting time: the time when larvae were not moving (sec)
- Boldness: (Freezing time) the time the individual remained motionless after stimulation with the pencil (sec).
- Artemia.eat: Number of eaten artemias after 15 minutes.
- TC: period available for growth and development, (photoperiod), weak: early photoperiod, Strong: late photoperiod
- Treatment-egg: treatment during egg stage (C: no predator treatment, S: predator treatment (spiny-cheek crayfish predator cue)
- Larval_treatment: treatment during 5 days larval treatment after entering F-0 instar (Control: no predator treatment, Predator: predator treatment (spiny-cheek crayfish predator cue, Metal: copper treatment, Metal+predator: Combined treatments of predator and metal)
- Metal_larvae: Yes, larva was introduced to metal treatment during the 5 days of larvae treatment after entering F-0 instar. No: larva wasn’t introduce metal treatment during the 5 days of larval treatment after entering F-0 instar.
- Predator_larvae: Yes, larva was introduced to predator treatment during the 5 days of larvae treatment after entering F-0 instar. No: larva wasn’tintroduce predator treatment during the 5 days of larval treatment after entering F-0 instar.
File: Survival-14days.xlsx
Description: larval survival until day 14
Variables
- Group cup: The ID of each treatment group cup (EC: Early photoperiod-control group, ES: Early photoperiod-predator group, LC: late photoperiod-control group, LS: late photoperiod-predator group)
- TC: period available for growth and development, time constraint (photoperiod), weak: early photoperiod, Strong: late photoperiod
- Egg_treatment: treatment during egg stage (Control: no predator treatment, Spiny: predator treatment (spiny-cheek crayfish predator cue)
- Survival: 1: survived after 14 days from hatching, 0: died before reaching 14 days from hatching
Code/software
Microsoft Excel