Libellulidae

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: Crustacea
Superclassis: Allotriocarida
Classis: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Cladus: Odonatoptera
Cladus: Holodonata
Ordo: Odonata
Subordo: Epiprocta
Infraordo: Anisoptera
Superfamilia: Libelluloidea

Familia: Libellulidae
Subfamiliae: Brachydiplacinae - Leucorrhiniinae - Libellulinae - Onychothemistinae - Palpopleurinae - Sympetrinae - Tetrathemistinae - Trameinae - Trithemistinae - Urothemistinae - Zygonychinae
Genera incertae sedis: Orionothemis

Name

Libellulidae Leach, 1815 (or Rambur, 1842)
References

Fleck, G. ; N. Hamada & A.L. Carvalho 2009: A remarkable new genus and species of dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera: Libellulidae) from Brazil and notes on its bionomics and phylogenetic affinities. Ann. Soc. Entomol. (N.S.) 45 (3): 275–284.

Full article: [1].
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Segellibellen
English: Skimmers or Perchers
日本語: トンボ科
한국어: 잠자리과
Nederlands: Korenbouten
polski: Ważkowate
русский: Настоящие стрекозы
中文: 蜻蜓科

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 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
Anatya Kirby, 1889
Anectothemis Fraser, 1954
Antidythemis Kirby, 1889
Archaeophlebia Ris, 1909
Argyrothemis Ris, 1911
Atoconeura Karsch, 1899
Atratothemis Wilson, 2005
Austrothemis Ris, 1909
Bironides Förster, 1903
Boninthemis Asahina, 1952
Brachydiplax Brauer, 1868
Brachygonia Kirby, 1889
Brachymesia Kirby, 1889 – tropical pennants
Brachythemis Brauer, 1868
Bradinopyga Kirby, 1893
Brechmorhoga Kirby, 1894 – clubskimmers
Calophlebia Selys, 1896
Camacinia Kirby, 1889
Cannaphila Kirby, 1889 – narrow-winged skimmers
Celebophlebia Lieftinck, 1936
Celebothemis 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
Dasythemis Karsch, 1889
Deielia Kirby, 1889
Diastatops Rambur, 1842
Diplacina Brauer, 1868
Diplacodes Kirby, 1889 – perchers
Dythemis Hagen, 1861 – setwings
Edonis Needham, 1905
Elasmothemis Westfall, 1988
Eleuthemis Ris, 1910
Elga Ris, 1911
Epithemis Laidlaw, 1955
Erythemis Hagen, 1861 – pondhawks
Erythrodiplax Brauer, 1868 – dragonlets
Fylgia Kirby, 1889 - white-eyed skimmer
Garrisonia Peñalva & Costa, 2007
Hadrothemis Karsch, 1891 – jungle-skimmers
Hemistigma Kirby, 1889 – pied-spots
Huonia Förster, 1903
Hydrobasileus Kirby, 1889
Hylaeothemis Ris, 1909
Hypothemis Karsch, 1889
Idiataphe Cowley, 1934 – metallic pennants
Indothemis Ris, 1909
Ladona Needham, 1897
Lanthanusa 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
Microtrigonia Förster, 1903
Misagria Kirby, 1889
Nannodiplax Brauer, 1868
Nannophlebia Selys, 1878
Nannophya Rambur, 1842
Nannophyopsis Lieftinck, 1935
Nannothemis Brauer, 1868 – skimmers
Neodythemis Karsch, 1889
Nephepeltia Kirby, 1889
Nesciothemis Longfield, 1955
Nesogonia Kirby, 1898
Nesoxenia Kirby, 1889
Neurothemis Brauer, 1867
Nothodiplax Belle, 1984
Notiothemis Ris, 1919 – forestwatchers
Notolibellula Theischinger & Watson, 1977
Oligoclada Karsch, 1890
Olpogastra Karsch, 1895
Onychothemis Brauer, 1868
Orchithemis Brauer, 1878
Orionothemis Fleck, Hamada & Carvalho, 2009
Orthemis Hagen, 1861 – tropical king skimmers
Orthetrum Newman, 1833
Oxythemis Ris, 1909
Pachydiplax Brauer, 1868 – blue dasher
Pacificothemis Asahina, 1940
Palaeothemis Fraser, 1923
Palpopleura Rambur, 1842
Paltothemis Karsch, 1890 – rock skimmers
Pantala Hagen, 1861 – rainpool gliders
Parazyxomma Pinhey, 1961
Perithemis Hagen, 1861 – amberwings
Phyllothemis Fraser, 1935
Planiplax Muttkowski, 1910
Plathemis Hagen, 1861
Pornothemis Krüger, 1902
Porpacithemis Fraser, 1954
Porpax Karsch, 1896
Potamarcha Karsch, 1890
Protorthemis Kirby, 1889
Pseudagrionoptera Ris, 1909
Pseudoleon Kirby, 1889
Pseudothemis Kirby, 1889
Pseudotramea Fraser, 1920
Raphismia Kirby, 1889
Rhodopygia Kirby, 1889
Rhodothemis Ris, 1909
Rhyothemis Hagen, 1867
Risiophlebia Cowley, 1934
Scapanea Kirby, 1889
Selysiothemis Ris, 1897
Sleuthemis Fraser, 1951
Sympetrum Newman, 1833 – meadowhawks, darters
Tapeinothemis 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
Tyriobapta Kirby, 1889
Uracis Rambur, 1842
Urothemis Brauer, 1868
Viridithemis Fraser, 1960
Ypirangathemis Santos, 1945
Zenithoptera Selys, 1869
Zygonoides Fraser, 1957
Zygonychidium Lindley, 1970
Zygonyx Hagen, 1867
Zyxomma Rambur, 1842
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.