Competing species can coexist when they experience stronger competition within their own species than between different species. A new framework was developed to identify ecological differences among species that affect their responses to competition. By studying Enallagma damselflies in different lakes, researchers found that in some cases, intraspecific competition was stronger than interspecific competition. However, in many cases, the effects of competition were similar or weak. Different environmental factors influenced how species responded to competition, providing insights into the mechanisms that regulate damselfly populations. This framework can help understand how species coexist and overcome limitations of previous approaches.