Libellulidae
Libellulidae | |
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Pantala flavescens | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
Superfamily: | Libelluloidea |
Family: | Libellulidae Rambur, 1842[1] |
Genera | |
see text |
The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest dragonfly family in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Even if these are excluded (as Silsby does), there still remains a family of over 1000 species. With nearly worldwide distribution, these are almost certainly the most often seen of all dragonflies.
The genus Libellula is mostly New World, but also has one of the few endangered odonates from Japan: Libellula angelina. Many of the members of this genus are brightly colored or have banded wings. The related genus Plathemis includes the whitetails. The genus Celithemis contains several brightly marked species in the southern United States. Members of the genus Sympetrum are called darters (or meadowhawks in North America) and are found throughout most of the world, except Australia. Several Southern Hemisphere species in the genera Trithemis and Zenithoptera are especially beautiful. Other common genera include Tramea and Pantala.
The libellulids have stout-bodied larvae with the lower lip or labium developed into a mask over the lower part of the face.
Etymology[]
The family name may have been derived from the Latin libella which means "booklet".
Genera[]
The Libelluidae contain these genera:
- Acisoma Rambur, 1842 – pintails
- Aethiothemis Martin, 1908
- Aethriamanta Kirby, 1889
- Agrionoptera Brauer, 1864
- Amphithemis Selys, 1891
- Kirby, 1889
- Fraser, 1954
- Kirby, 1889
- Ris, 1909
- Ris, 1911
- Atoconeura Karsch, 1899
- Atratothemis Wilson, 2005
- Austrothemis Ris, 1909
- Förster, 1903
- Boninthemis Asahina, 1952
- Brachydiplax Brauer, 1868
- Kirby, 1889
- Brachymesia Kirby, 1889 – tropical pennants
- Brachythemis Brauer, 1868
- Bradinopyga Kirby, 1893
- Brechmorhoga Kirby, 1894 – clubskimmers
- Selys, 1896
- Camacinia Kirby, 1889
- Cannaphila Kirby, 1889 – narrow-winged skimmers
- Lieftinck, 1936
- Ris, 1909
- Celithemis Hagen, 1861 – pennants
- Chalcostephia Kirby, 1889
- Chalybeothemis Lieftinck, 1933
- Congothemis Fraser, 1953
- Cratilla Kirby, 1900
- Crocothemis Brauer, 1868 – skimmers
- Cyanothemis Ris, 1915
- Karsch, 1889
- Kirby, 1889
- Diastatops Rambur, 1842
- Brauer, 1868
- Diplacodes Kirby, 1889 – perchers
- Dythemis Hagen, 1861 – setwings
- Edonis Needham, 1905
- Westfall, 1988
- Eleuthemis Ris, 1910
- Ris, 1911
- Laidlaw, 1955
- Erythemis Hagen, 1861 – pondhawks
- Erythrodiplax Brauer, 1868 – dragonlets
- Fylgia Kirby, 1889 - white-eyed skimmer
- Peñalva & Costa, 2007
- Hadrothemis Karsch, 1891 – jungle-skimmers
- Hemistigma Kirby, 1889 – pied-spots
- Huonia Förster, 1903
- Hydrobasileus Kirby, 1889
- Hylaeothemis Ris, 1909
- Karsch, 1889
- Idiataphe Cowley, 1934 – metallic pennants
- Ris, 1909
- Ladona Needham, 1897
- Ris, 1909
- Lathrecista Kirby, 1889
- Leucorrhinia Brittinger, 1850 – whitefaces
- Libellula Linnaeus, 1758 (including Plathemis)
- Lokia Ris, 1919
- Lyriothemis Brauer, 1868
- Macrodiplax Brauer, 1868 – marl pennants
- Macrothemis Hagen, 1868 – sylphs
- Malgassophlebia Fraser, 1956
- Miathyria Kirby, 1889 – dashers
- Micrathyria Kirby, 1889 – tropical dashers
- Micromacromia Karsch, 1890
- Förster, 1903
- Kirby, 1889
- Nannodiplax Brauer, 1868
- Nannophlebia Selys, 1878
- Nannophya Rambur, 1842
- Lieftinck, 1935
- Nannothemis Brauer, 1868 – skimmers
- Neodythemis Karsch, 1889
- Kirby, 1889
- Nesciothemis Longfield, 1955
- Kirby, 1898
- Kirby, 1889
- Neurothemis Brauer, 1867
- Nothodiplax Belle, 1984
- Notiothemis Ris, 1919 – forestwatchers
- Notolibellula Theischinger & Watson, 1977
- Karsch, 1890
- Olpogastra Karsch, 1895
- Brauer, 1868
- Brauer, 1878
- Fleck, Hamada & Carvalho, 2009
- Orthemis Hagen, 1861 – tropical king skimmers
- Orthetrum Newman, 1833
- Oxythemis Ris, 1909
- Pachydiplax Brauer, 1868 – blue dasher
- Asahina, 1940
- Fraser, 1923
- Palpopleura Rambur, 1842
- Paltothemis Karsch, 1890 – rock skimmers
- Pantala Hagen, 1861 – rainpool gliders
- Parazyxomma Pinhey, 1961
- Perithemis Hagen, 1861 – amberwings
- Fraser, 1935
- Planiplax Muttkowski, 1910
- Plathemis Hagen, 1861
- Krüger, 1902
- Fraser, 1954
- Porpax Karsch, 1896
- Potamarcha Karsch, 1890
- Kirby, 1889
- Ris, 1909
- Pseudoleon Kirby, 1889
- Kirby, 1889
- Fraser, 1920
- Raphismia Kirby, 1889
- Rhodopygia Kirby, 1889
- Rhodothemis Ris, 1909
- Rhyothemis Hagen, 1867
- Risiophlebia Cowley, 1934
- Kirby, 1889
- Selysiothemis Ris, 1897
- Fraser, 1951
- Sympetrum Newman, 1833 – meadowhawks, darters
- Lieftinck, 1950
- Tauriphila Kirby, 1889 – pasture gliders
- Tetrathemis Brauer, 1868
- Thalassothemis Ris, 1909
- Thermochoria Kirby, 1889
- Thermorthemis Kirby, 1889
- Tholymis Hagen, 1867 – evening skimmers
- Tramea Hagen, 1861 – saddlebags
- Trithemis Brauer, 1868 – dropwings
- Trithetrum Dijkstra & Pilgrim, 2007
- Kirby, 1889
- Uracis Rambur, 1842
- Urothemis Brauer, 1868
- Fraser, 1960
- Santos, 1945
- Zenithoptera Selys, 1869
- Zygonoides Fraser, 1957
- Zygonychidium Lindley, 1970
- Zygonyx Hagen, 1867
- Zyxomma Rambur, 1842
Gallery[]
Crocothemis servilia
Libellula luctuosa
Sympetrum fonscolombii
Sympetrum sanguineum
Trithemis aurora
Crocothemis erythraea
Nymph of a Libellulidae
Diastatops pullata, male
Uracis fastigiata male
Uracis imbuta, male
Thermorthemis madagascariensis, male
Thermorthemis madagascariensis, male
Thermorthemis madagascariensis, immature male
References[]
- ^ Rambur, Jules (1842). Histoire naturelle des insectes. Névroptères (in French). Paris: Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret. pp. 534 [24] – via Gallica.
- Animal Diversity Web
- Martin Schorr; Martin Lindeboom; Dennis Paulson. "World Odonata List". University of Puget Sound. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
Bibliography[]
- Silsby, Jill. 2001. Dragonflies of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
External links[]
Data related to Libellulidae at Wikispecies
Media related to Libellulidae at Wikimedia Commons
- Libellulidae
- Libelluloidea
- Taxa named by Jules Pierre Rambur
- Odonata families