Flight is a key feature of the reproduction and dispersal of emerging aquatic insects. However, morphological measurements of insect flight are mostly available for terrestrial taxa and dragonflies, while aquatic insects have been poorly investigated. We analyzed seven flight-related morphological parameters of 32 taxa belonging to five orders of emerging aquatic insects (Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera, Diptera, and Megaloptera) with different life history traits related to flight (dispersal strategy, voltinism, adult lifespan, and swarming behavior). After correcting for allometry, we used an a priori-free approach to cluster the individuals according to their flight-related morphology. Then, we explored the levels of agreement between these clusters, taxonomy, and several life history traits of the taxa. All orders were scattered among several clusters, suggesting a large range of flight capacities, particularly for Diptera. We found swarming taxa in each cluster, showing that morphological adaptations to swarming are not identical in all aquatic insects. The clusters did not match the expected dispersal capacity of the taxa as derived from the literature or databases. Heavy wide-winged insects notably gathered taxa traditionally described as good or weak dispersers. Flight capacities based on morphology partly matched with the taxonomy and life-history traits of aquatic insect imagoes. Other parameters such as flight propensity, energy stores, and wing kinematics should help refine their flying and dispersal capacity.

中文翻译：

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基于形态学的水生昆虫飞行能力分类：首次尝试

飞行是新兴水生昆虫繁殖和传播的关键特征。然而，昆虫飞行的形态学测量主要适用于陆生类群和蜻蜓，而水生昆虫的研究却很少。我们分析了属于新兴水生昆虫（蜉蝣目、毛翅目、蜉蝣目、双翅目和大翅目）的 32 个类群的 7 个与飞行相关的形态参数，这些昆虫具有与飞行相关的不同生活史特征（扩散策略、挥发性、成虫寿命和集群）行为）。在校正异速生长后，我们使用无先验方法根据个体与飞行相关的形态对个体进行聚类。然后，我们探讨了这些簇、分类学和类群的几个生活史特征之间的一致性程度。所有订单都分散在几个集群中，表明飞行能力范围很大，特别是双翅目。我们在每个簇中都发现了集群类群，这表明所有水生昆虫对集群的形态适应并不相同。这些簇与文献或数据库中预期的类群扩散能力不符。重型宽翅昆虫特别聚集传统上被描述为良好或弱分散者的类群。基于形态的飞行能力部分与水生昆虫成虫的分类和生活史特征相匹配。其他参数，例如飞行倾向、能量储存和机翼运动学，应该有助于完善它们的飞行和分散能力。