Libelluloidea
Temporal range: Berriasian to present
Orthetrum sabina
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Clade: Cavilabiata
Superfamily: Libelluloidea
Leach, 1815[1]
Families

Libelluloidea is the most species-rich superfamily of dragonflies, comprising 13 families.[2][3]

The superfamily includes the skimmers, cruisers, emeralds and their relatives, and represents one of the most diverse evolutionary radiations within modern dragonflies.[2]

Recent phylogenetic studies using morphological and molecular data have substantially revised the classification of the group, including the recognition and restoration of several families.[2]

Taxonomic history

The superfamily Libelluloidea was established by Leach in 1815.[1]

Historically, the classification of libelluloid dragonflies has been unstable, particularly regarding the limits of Corduliidae, Synthemistidae and related families.[4][5]

In 2025, a major phylogenetic revision using morphological and molecular data recognised three new families and restored six previously synonymised families within Libelluloidea.[2]

Since 2013, the following family names have generally been treated as invalid, synonymised or disputed:[4][5][6][7]

Alternative phylogenetic names proposed for libelluloid dragonflies by Bechly included Anauriculida and Italoansida in 1996, and Eurypalpidomorpha in 2003.[7][8]

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic studies support Libelluloidea as a natural evolutionary group of dragonflies closely related to Cordulegastroidea.[9][4][2]

Libelluloidea is generally recovered as the sister group to Cordulegastroidea.[10][2]

Cordulegastroidea

Libelluloidea

Etymology

The superfamily name Libelluloidea is derived from the type genus Libellula and the zoological suffix -oidea, used for superfamilies.

The genus name Libellula is the diminutive form of the Latin libella ("small balance" or "level"), possibly referring to the horizontal position of the wings.[11]

Families

Libelluloidea includes the following families:[2][3]

Fossil record

The superfamily includes numerous extinct fossil taxa known from the Cretaceous and later deposits, including:[7][12]

The oldest known member of Libelluloidea is Araripelibellula brittanica from the Berriasian of England.[13]

Libelluloidea and Cordulegastroidea together form a major evolutionary lineage of dragonflies.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Leach, W. E. (1815). "Entomology". In Brewster, D. (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Vol. 9 (reprint 1830 ed.). Edinburgh: William Blackburn. pp. 57–172 [136]. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.30911.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Goodman, Aaron; Abbott, John C.; Bybee, Seth M.; Ehlert, Juliana; Frandsen, Paul B.; Guralnick, Rob; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Newton, Lacie; Pinto, Ângelo Parise; Ware, Jessica L. (2025-10-09). "Systematic and taxonomic revision of emerald and tigertail dragonflies (Anisoptera: Synthemistidae and Corduliidae)". Systematic Entomology. doi:10.1111/syen.70000.
  3. ^ a b Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama.
  4. ^ a b c Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Bechly, Günter; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Dumont, Henri J.; Fleck, Günther; Garrison, Rosser W.; Hämäläinen, Matti; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Karube, Haruki; May, Michael L.; Orr, Albert G.; Paulson, Dennis R.; Rehn, Andrew C.; Theischinger, Günther; Trueman, John W. H.; Van Tol, Jan; von Ellenrieder, Natalia; Ware, Jessica (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. ISSN 1175-5334.
  5. ^ a b Ware, J., May, M., & Kjer, K. (2007). Phylogeny of the higher Libelluloidea (Anisoptera: Odonata): an exploration of the most speciose superfamily of dragonflies. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 45(1), 289–310.
  6. ^ Carle, F. L., Kjer, K. M., & May, M. L. (2008). Evolution of Odonata, with special reference to Coenagrionoidea (Zygoptera). Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny, 66(1), 37–44.
  7. ^ a b c Sroka, Steven D.; Howells, Thomas F.; Nel, André (2023). "A new transitional "libelluloid" family of odonates with Mesozoic affinities in the Eocene Green River Formation of Utah, USA". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 68 (2): 337–342. doi:10.4202/app.01072.2023.
  8. ^ Petrulevicius, Julián F.; Nel, André (2002). "A new libelluloid dragonfly from late Paleocene deposits in Argentina (Odonata: Italoansida)". European Journal of Entomology. 99: 485–489. ISSN 1210-5759.
  9. ^ Bybee, S.M.; Ogden, T.H.; Branham, M.A.; Whiting, M.F. (2008). "Molecules, morphology and fossils: a comprehensive approach to odonate phylogeny and the evolution of the odonate wing". Cladistics. 24 (4): 477–514. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2007.00191.x. PMID 34879634.
  10. ^ a b Lin, Qi-Bin; Huang, Di-Ying; Nel, A. (2007). "A new family of Cavilabiata from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, China (Odonata: Anisoptera)". Zootaxa. 1469 (1): 59–64. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1469.1.4. ISSN 1175-5334.
  11. ^ Endersby, Ian; Fliedner, Heinrich (2015). The Naming of Australia's Dragonflies. Eltham, Victoria, Australia: Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925260625.
  12. ^ a b Petrulevičius, Julián F.; Nel, André (2003). "A new libelluloid dragonfly (Insecta: Odonata: Italoansida) from the late Paleocene of Argentina". Geobios. 36 (4): 401–406. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(03)00039-1. ISSN 0016-6995.
  13. ^ "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
Wikispecies logo
Wikispecies has information related to Libelluloidea.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Libelluloidea.