Thriving in the heat: How high temperatures and habitat disturbance shape odonate taxonomic and functional diversity in the tropics

Abstract Because insects are unable to regulate their body temperatures, they are vulnerable to rising temperatures and habitat disturbances that limit access to optimal microhabitats. This study examines how these factors affect the taxonomic and functional diversity of Odonata insects (Anisoptera and Zygoptera) in a tropical dry landscape. We assessed taxonomic diversity using Hill numbers ( 0 D , 1 D , 2 D ) and functional diversity in preserved and disturbed sites within a tropical dry forest. Functional diversity was measured using the standardised effect size (SES) of functional richness, evenness, divergence and community‐weighted means (CWMs), focusing on traits related to heat tolerance and resource acquisition (body colouration and size). Taxonomic diversity was positively related to high temperatures and vegetation in Anisoptera, with no relation for Zygoptera. The SES of functional richness for Zygoptera was higher in preserved areas, while anisopterans showed no changes. Only Anisoptera showed a negative correlation between functional evenness and maximum temperatures. Functional divergence in both suborders was higher in disturbed areas. In Anisoptera, the CWM of body colour lightness was higher in disturbed sites, but neither environmental factor affected the CWM of body size in either suborder. While disturbance limited trait variability in zygopterans, it favoured species with extreme traits in both suborders. Reduced trait variability in preserved sites may have affected adaptability to future disturbances. Our study highlights that Odonata communities maintain stable taxonomic diversity despite disturbances, but shifts in functional diversity could compromise their resilience and ecological roles.