Synlestidae

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: Lestoidea

Familia: Synlestidae
Subfamiliae: Megalestinae - Synlestinae
Overview of genera

Chlorolestes – Chorismagrion – Ecchlorolestes – Episynlestes – Megalestes – Nubiolestes – Phylolestes – Sinolestes – Synlestes
Name

Synlestidae Tillyard, 1917
Synonyms

Chorismagrionidae Fraser, 1957

References

Dijkstra, K.-D.B., Kalkman, V.J., Dow, R.A., Stokvis, F.R. & Tol, J. van 2014. Redefining the damselfly families: a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata). Systematic Entomology 39(1): 68–96. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12035 Open access. Reference page.

The Synlestidae are a family of damselflies[2][3] commonly known as sylphs or malachites.[4] They occur in South Africa, Australia, and South America.[5]

Description

These damselflies are 21 to 36 millimeters long, with slender abdomens.[4] Species are generally metallic green to brown-tinged black in color.[6]
Biology

Damselflies of this family are predators. The nymphs live in rivers and streams, and can be found in stagnant pools during the dry season.[4]
Systematics

There are nine extant genera. There are also several extinct genera known from fossils.[5]

Genera include:

Chlorolestes Selys, 1862
Ecchlorolestes Barnard, 1937
Episynlestes Kennedy, 1920
Megalestes Selys, 1862
Nubiolestes Fraser, 1945
Phylolestes Christiansen, 1947
Sinolestes Needham, 1930
Synlestes Selys, 1868

References

Tillyard, R.J. (1917). The biology of dragonflies (Odonata or Paraneuroptera). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 396 [82]. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.35170.
"Family SYNLESTIDAE". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
Dijkstra, K.D.B.; et al. (2013). "The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013)". Zootaxa. 3703 (1): 36–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.9. hdl:10072/61365.
Synlestidae. Identification & Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates. Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Vasilenko, D. V. (2005). New damselflies (Odonata: Synlestidae, Hemiphlebiidae) from the Mesozoic Transbaikalian locality of Chernovskie Kopi. Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal 39(3), 280-83.
Synlestidae. Australian Insect Families. CSIRO, 2016.