Among insects, perhaps the most appreciated are those that are esthetically pleasing: few capture the interest of the public as much as vibrantly colored dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata). These remarkable insects are also extensively studied. Here, we review the history of odonate systematics, with an emphasis on discrepancies among studies. Over the past century, relationships among Odonata have been reinterpreted many times, using a variety of data from wing vein morphology to DNA. Despite years of study, there has been little consensus about odonate taxonomy. In this review, we compare odonate molecular phylogenetic studies with respect to gene and model selection, optimality criterion, and dataset completeness. These differences are discussed in relation to the evolution of dragonfly behavior.

Determining the cultural propensities or cultural behaviours of a species during foraging entails an investigation of underlying drivers and motivations. 2.In this article, we propose a multi-component approach involving behaviour, ecology, and physiology to accelerate the study of cultural propensities in the wild. 3.We propose as the first component the use of field experiments that simulate natural contexts, such as foraging behaviours and tool use opportunities, to explore social learning and cultural tendencies in a variety of species. To further accelerate this component, we discuss and advocate for the use of modern machine learning video analysis tools. 4.In conjunction, we examine non-invasive methods to measure ecological influences on foraging such as phenology, fruit availability, dietary intake; and physiological influences such as stress, protein balance, energetics, and metabolism. We feature non-invasive urine sampling to investigate urea, creatinine, ketone bodies, the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), cortisol and Connecting peptides of insulin. 5.To conclude, we highlight the benefits of combining ecological and physiological conditions with behavioural field experiments. This can be done across wild species, and provides the framework needed to test ecological hypotheses related to cultural behaviour.

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