Diphlebia

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Cladus: Odonatoptera
Cladus: Holodonata
Ordo: Odonata
Subordo: Zygoptera
Superfamilia: Calopterygoidea
Familia: Diphlebiidae
Genus: Diphlebia
Species: D. coerulescens – D. euphoeoides – D. hybridoides – D. lestoides – D. nymphoides
Name
Diphlebia Selys, 1869

Diphlebia is a genus of damselflies in the family Lestoideidae.[2] They are commonly known as rockmasters. These damselflies are very large and thick. The species in this genus are found in Eastern Australia, except for one species that can be found in New Guinea. The males are vividly patterned. They are blue or bluish green and black in colour. Their blue colour also gives them the name azure damselflies. They rest with their wings spread out. Their wings are usually blackish brown or have white markings. These damselflies have several present antenodal crossveins. The two basal crossveins extend across costal and subcostal spaces. The larvae are wide and flat. They have long saccoid gills enabling them to breathe underwater. The inner tooth of their labial palps is elongated. The specific characters of the larva are mid-ventral, distal width, basal width, and length of median lobe.
Species

Diphlebia includes five species that are found in eastern Australia and New Guinea. The following are the species.

Diphlebia coerulescens Tillyard, 1913 - sapphire rockmaster
Diphlebia euphaeoides Tillyard, 1907 - tropical rockmaster
Diphlebia hybridoides Tillyard, 1912 - giant rockmaster
Diphlebia lestoides (Selys, 1853) - whitewater rockmaster
Diphlebia nymphoides Tillyard, 1912 - arrowhead rockmaster

Notes

Until recently Diphlebia was a member of the family Diphlebiidae.
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diphlebia.
Wikispecies has information related to Diphlebia.

Selys-Longchamps, E. (1869). "Secondes additions au synopsis des Caloptérygines". Bulletin de la Classe des Science, Académie Royale de Belgique (in French). 27: 645–680 [662] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.

"Genus Diphlebia Selys, 1869". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2017.

"DIPHLEBIIDAE - Azure Damselflies". Brisbane Insects and Spiders. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
Günther Theischinger; John Hawking (2006). The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia (PDF). CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-09073-8. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
Martin Schorr; Martin Lindeboom; Dennis Paulson. "World Odonata List". University of Puget Sound. Retrieved 11 August 2010.