DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffx7
title: Experimental data on time constraint, predator, and pollutant stress effects across life stages in the damselfly <em>Lestes sponsa</em>

description: 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.
description: # Experimental data on time constraint, predator, and pollutant stress
 effects across life stages in the damselfly *Lestes sponsa* Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffx7](https://doi.org/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