Euphaeidae, sometimes incorrectly named Epallagidae and commonly called gossamerwings, is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

damselflies Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along ...

in the

odonate Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous. The two comm ...

superfamily

Calopterygoidea Calopterygoidea is a superfamily of damselflies in the order Odonata. Families * Amanipodagrionidae * Amphipterygidae Tillyard, 1917 * Argiolestidae Fraser, 1957 * Calopterygidae Selys, 1850 (broad-winged damselflies) * Chlorocyphidae Cowle ...

. The family is small, consisting of around 78 species living species in nine genera occurring in the Palearctic, Australasia, and Asia. The family contains two subfamilies, Euphaeinae, encompassing all the living species and a single fossil genus, and the extinct Eodichromatinae, encompassing fossil genera from the Eocene to late Oligocene. Euphaeid species are large and mostly

metallic Metallic may be a reference to: *Metal * Metalloid, metal-like substance *Metallic bonding, type of chemical bonding * Metallicity, in astronomy the proportion of elements other than helium and hydrogen in an object *Metallic color, a color that ...

-coloured, looking similar to species of damselflies in the family

Calopterygidae The Calopterygidae are a family of damselflies, in the suborder Zygoptera. They are commonly known as the broad-winged damselflies, demoiselles, or jewelwings. These rather large damselflies have wingspans of 50–80 mm (compared to about 44 ...

. The larvae have seven pairs of supplementary gills along the abdomen in addition to the usual three sac-like gills at the tip of the abdomen. Adults have the fore- and hindwings of equal length, barely petiolate and a long pterostigma that is broader in the hindwing. Adults have close veins and numerous antenodals (15-38), and most breed in forest streams.

Subfamilies, tribes, and genera

*† Eodichromatinae **†Eodichromatini ***†'' Ejerslevia'' (

Fur Formation The Fur Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian ( Lower Eocene Epoch, c. 56.0-54.5 Ma) age which crops out in the Limfjord region of Denmark from Silstrup via Mors and Fur to Ertebølle, and can be seen in many cliffs and quarries ...

Ypresian In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

, Denmark) ***†'' Eodichroma'' ( Wellborn Formation,

Priabonian The Priabonian is, in the ICS's geologic timescale, the latest age or the upper stage of the Eocene Epoch or Series. It spans the time between . The Priabonian is preceded by the Bartonian and is followed by the Rupelian, the lowest stage of t ...

, Texas) ***†'' Labandeiraia'' (Fur Formation &

Green River Formation The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes in three basins along the present-day Green River in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The sediments are deposited in very fine ...

, Ypresian, Denmark & Colorado) ***†'' Parazacallites'' (

Aix-en-Provence Formation Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

Chattian The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian (the lowest stage ...

, France) ***†''

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'' (

Klondike Mountain Formation The Klondike Mountain Formation is an Early Eocene (Ypresian) geological formation located in the northeast central area of Washington state. The formation, named for the type location designated in 1962, Klondike Mountain north of Republic, Wash ...

, Ypresian, Washington) ***†'' Solveigia wittecki'' (Fur Formation, Ypresian, Denmark) ***†'' Wolfgangeuphaea'' (

Baltic Amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

, Priabonian, Europe) **†Litheuphaeini ***†'' Litheuphaea'' (Goshen flora, Green River Formation & Baltic Amber, Ypresian - Repuelian?, Europe, Colorado, & Oregon) **''incertae sedis'' ***†'' Eodysphaea'' (Green River Formation, Ypresian, Colorado) * Euphaeinae **'' Anisopleura'' **'' Bayadera'' **'' Cryptophaea'' **'' Dysphaea'' **†'' Elektroeuphaea'' (Baltic Amber, Priabonian, Europe) **'' Epallage'' **'' Euphaea'' **'' Heterophaea'' **'' Schmidtiphaea'' *''Incertae sedis'' **†'' Epallagites'' (

, Ypresian, Colorado)

References

Odonata families {{Calopterygoidea-stub