Looks or personality - what drives damselfly male mating success in the wild?

In this study, we assessed Calopteryx splendens male mating success in a natural population at the central core of their distribution, representing an optimal environment. We examined two behavioral axes (a) courtship and (b) boldness-aggression and measured wing patch area and body size as important traits in damselfly sexual selection. Only courtship consistency positively influenced mating success. Among morphological traits, smaller wing patch size was associated with greater male mating success, while thorax size outperformed personality or plasticity in boldness and activity as a predictor of mating success.