A phylogeny of Hetaerina Hagen (Odonata: Calopterygidae) based on morphological data with an examination of potential correlated evolution between sexually selected characters

The New World genus Hetaerina Hagen, is composed of 37 species distributed from southern Canada to central South America. During copulation, male damselflies interact with and attach to females to form a “mating wheel”, which acts as a lock-and-key, thereby reducing the risk of heterospecific matings and increasing the male’s likelihood of paternity. In Hetaerina, this lock-and-key is composed of the female’s intersternite, located between the pro- and pterothorax, and the male’s cerci, located on the posterior of the 10^th abdominal segment. Through a phylogenetic analysis of more than 150 morphological characters, we will test the hypothesis that characters associated with the female intersternite and male cerci show a pattern of correlated evolution. Character evolution across these morphological structures will be discussed. We hope that the results from this study will lead to an improved understanding of the evolution of morphological structures that are presumably under sexual selection and increase future interest in these interesting and charismatic damselflies.