The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

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 ...

in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the

Macromiidae The insect family Macromiidae contains the dragonfly species known as cruisers or skimmers. They tend to fly over bodies of water (and roads) straight down the middle. They are similar to Aeshnidae in size, but the eyes are green and just barely ...

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 ''Libellula'' is a genus of dragonflies, commonly called skimmers, in the family Libellulidae, distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Most species are found in the United States, where they are the best-known larg ...

'' is mostly

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

, but also has one of the few endangered odonates from Japan: ''

Libellula angelina ''Libellula angelina'', also known as bekko tombo, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae, native to China and Japan. It is under threat by rapid loss of the ponds and other small water bodies it uses as habitat, and is currently cl ...

''. Many of the members of this genus are brightly colored or have banded wings. The related genus ''

Plathemis ''Libellula'' is a genus of dragonflies, commonly called skimmers, in the family Libellulidae, distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Most species are found in the United States, where they are the best-known larg ...

'' includes the whitetails. The genus ''

Celithemis ''Celithemis'' is a genus of dragonfly, dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are known commonly as pennants. There are eight species in this monophyly, monophyletic genus. They are mainly distributed in eastern North America. Species Spec ...

'' 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 ''Zenithoptera'' is a genus of dragonfly. They occur in Central America and northern South America. Their habitat is grassy marshes or clearings. Species The genus contains the following species: References

Libellulidae Anisoptera gene ...

'' are especially beautiful. Other common genera include ''

Tramea ''Tramea'' is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae, the skimmers and perchers. Species of ''Tramea'' are found in tropical and subtropical regions around the globe. They typically have colored bases to their otherwise translucent hi ...

'' and ''

Pantala ''Pantala'' is a genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae commonly called the rainpool gliders. They are found almost worldwide. Species of ''Pantala'' are medium-sized to large, dull orange-yellow dragonflies. Species The genus ''Pantal ...

''. The libellulids have stout-bodied

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e 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 Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

Gallery

File:Ruddy Marsh Skimmer (Crocothemis servilia)- male W IMG 0512.jpg, ''

Crocothemis servilia The scarlet skimmer or ruddy marsh skimmer, ''Crocothemis servilia'', is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native to east and southeast Asia and introduced to Jamaica, Florida, and Hawaii. Subspecies There are two known subspec ...

'' File:Libellula luctuosa male.jpg, '' Libellula luctuosa'' File:Green Marsh Hawk (Orthetrum sabina) W IMG 1681.jpg, ''

Orthetrum sabina ''Orthetrum sabina'', the slender skimmer or green marsh hawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family (biology), family Libellulidae. It is widespread, being found from south-eastern Europe and North Africa to Japan and south to Australia and M ...

'' File:Platetrum_depressum_1_Luc_Viatour.JPG, ''

Libellula depressa ''Libellula depressa'', the broad-bodied chaser or broad-bodied darter,Hart. M., et al, (1978), ''The Naturetrail Omnibus'', London: Usborne Publishing Limited, page 157 is one of the most common dragonflies in Europe and central Asia. It is ve ...

'' File:Darter August 2007-20.jpg, '' Sympetrum fonscolombii'' File:Sympetrum_sanguineum_(male).jpg, '' Sympetrum sanguineum'' File:Crimson Marsh Glider (Trithemis aurora) - Male.jpg, '' Trithemis aurora'' File:Trithemis kirbyi.jpg, ''

Trithemis kirbyi ''Trithemis kirbyi'', also known as the Kirby's dropwing, orange-winged dropwing, or scarlet rock glider is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Distribution It is found in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, ...

'' File:Neurothemis terminata.jpg, ''

Neurothemis terminata ''Neurothemis terminata'' is a species of dragonfly in family Libellulidae. ''Neurothemis terminata'' is a widespread and often common species which can occur in man-made habitats, from Peninsular Malaysia and Japan to the Lesser Sundas in Indone ...

'' File:Scarlet Dragonfly.jpg, '' Crocothemis erythraea'' File:Segellibellen-Larve.JPG, Nymph of a Libellulidae File:Dark-winged skimmer (Diastatops pullata) male.JPG, ''Diastatops pullata'', male Large woodskimmer (Uracis fastigiata) male.jpg, ''Uracis fastigiata'' male File:Tropical skimmer (Uracis imbuta) male Costa Rica.jpg, ''Uracis imbuta'', male File:Madagascar jungle skimmer (Thermorthemis madagascariensis) male.jpg, ''Thermorthemis madagascariensis'', male File:Madagascar jungle skimmer (Thermorthemis madagascariensis) male 2.jpg, ''Thermorthemis madagascariensis'', male File:Madagascar jungle skimmer (Thermorthemis madagascariensis) immature male.jpg, ''Thermorthemis madagascariensis'', immature male

References

Animal Diversity Web
*

Bibliography

* Silsby, Jill. 2001. ''Dragonflies of the World''. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q507694 Libelluloidea Taxa named by Jules Pierre Rambur Odonata families