Libellulidae

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.

Libellulidae
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 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:

  • Crocothemis servilia
  • Libellula luctuosa
  • Orthetrum sabina
  • Libellula depressa
  • Sympetrum fonscolombii
  • Sympetrum sanguineum
  • Trithemis aurora
  • Trithemis kirbyi
  • Neurothemis terminata
  • 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
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References
  1. Rambur, Jules (1842). Histoire naturelle des insectes. Névroptères (in French). Paris: Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret. pp. 534 [24] – via Gallica.

Bibliography
  • Silsby, Jill. 2001. Dragonflies of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.
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