dragonfly, Odonata, model species, environmental variables, laboratory breeding, climate warming

Several questions remain unanswered regarding Odonata larval hatching success and survival under different climate change scenarios. Therefore, laboratory rearing of larvae is an essential tool to study larval morphology, development, growth, and behavior. However, no universal method for larval breeding exists. We developed a laboratory breeding system for the model species Sympetrum striolatum, with the examination of environmental variables: water temperature, aeration, presence of artificial plant, feeding frequency, and clutch age on egg hatching success, as well as development and survival rate of larvae. We found a significant effect of water temperature and clutch age, and no effect of aeration on larval development rates and survival. The larvae benefited from the higher feeding frequency and in addition, we recorded a positive impact of the presence of artificial plants. The results presented here reaffirm previous findings that research on environmental changes and biotop degradation needs to be done on terrestrial adults but inseparable on aquatic life forms such as larvae and eggs. Understanding the effects of environmental variables such as temperature on Odonata development and survival, particularly regarding eggs and larvae, provides much information on specific biochemical, metabolic, and molecular mechanisms that underlie species community structuring.