Libellulidae

Libellulidae
File:Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens.jpg
Pantala flavescens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Anisoptera
Superfamily:	Libelluloidea
Family:	Libellulidae Rambur, 1842
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 order name may have been derived from the Latin libella which means booklet.

Genera

Libelluidae contains the following genera:

2

Gallery

• Ruddy Marsh Skimmer (Crocothemis servilia)- male W IMG 0512.jpg

  Crocothemis servilia

• Libellula luctuosa male.jpg

  Libellula luctuosa

• 

  Orthetrum sabina

• Platetrum depressum 1 Luc Viatour.JPG

  Libellula depressa

• 

  Sympetrum fonscolombii

• Sympetrum sanguineum (male).jpg

  Sympetrum sanguineum

• Crimson Marsh Glider (Trithemis aurora) - Male.jpg

  Trithemis aurora

• Trithemis kirbyi.jpg

  Trithemis kirbyi

• Neurothemis terminata.jpg

  Neurothemis terminata

• Scarlet Dragonfly.jpg

  Crocothemis erythraea

• Segellibellen-Larve.JPG

  Nymph of a Libellulidae

• Dark-winged skimmer (Diastatops pullata) male.JPG

  Dark-winged skimmer (Diastatops pullata), male

• Tropical skimmer (Uracis imbuta) male.JPG

  Tropical skimmer (Uracis imbuta), male

References

• Animal Diversity Web

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 at Wikimedia Commons