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
The Corduliidae, also knowns as the emeralds, emerald dragonflies or green-eyed skimmers, is a family of dragonflies. These dragonflies are usually black or dark brown with areas of metallic green or yellow, and most of them have large, emerald-gr ...
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 lar ...
'' 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 ...
''. 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 lar ...
'' includes the whitetails. The genus ''
Celithemis
''Celithemis'' is a genus of dragonflies
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 temp ...
'' contains several brightly marked species in the southern United States. Members of the genus ''
Sympetrum
''Sympetrum'' is a genus of small to medium-sized skimmer dragonflies, known as darters in the UK and as meadowhawks in North America. The more than 50 species predominantly live in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; no ''Sympetr ...
'' 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
''Trithemis'' is a genus of dragonfly, dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as dropwings. There are over 40 species, mainly from Africa; two are endemic to Madagascar, and five can be found in Asia. They are found in a ...
'' and '' Zenithoptera'' 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 ...
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
The red-veined darter or nomad (''Sympetrum fonscolombii'') is a dragonfly of the genus ''Sympetrum''.
Taxonomy
There is genetic and behavioural evidence that ''S. fonscolombii'' is not closely related to the other members of the genus ''Sympetr ...
''
File:Sympetrum_sanguineum_(male).jpg, ''
Sympetrum sanguineum
The ruddy darter (''Sympetrum sanguineum'') is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.
Distribution
The ruddy darter is to be found in temperate regions throughout EuropeTrithemis 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, ...
Crocothemis erythraea
The scarlet dragonfly (''Crocothemis erythraea'') is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter.
Status and distribution
The scarlet dragonfly is a common ...
''
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
 - Male.jpg, '' <a class=){kind=link}