''Megalagrion'' is a genus of

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 family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinapinao" in

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language ...

. Other native Hawaiian

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 ...

species include ''

Anax strenuus The giant Hawaiian darner, also known as the giant Hawaiian dragonfly or pinao (''Anax strenuus''), is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is one of two species of dragonfly that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands The Hawaii ...

'' and ''Nesogonia Blackburni,'' which are referred to as "pinao". Nymphal ''Megalagrion'' live in widely diverse habitats, including the expected streams and pools. ''Megalagrion'' also exploit some surprising habitats such as plant leaf axils of the 'ie'ie vine, waterfall faces and seeps, and even damp fern litter outside of the water. '' M. oahuense'' is the only species of damselfly whose

naiad In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. They are distinct from river gods, who ...

is terrestrial, living in damp leaf litter under banks of uluhe ferns until

metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

. Many species of ''Megalagrion'' are in danger due to habitat loss and predation by non-native fish such as

mosquitofish The western Mosquitofish (''Gambusia affinis'') is a North American freshwater fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply Mosquitofish or by its generic name, ''Gambusia'', or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the easte ...

. To protect them, non-native fish should never be released in Hawaiian streams. The genus contains the following species: *''

Megalagrion adytum ''Megalagrion adytum'' is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae that is endemic to Hawaii. Its natural habitat is swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition ...

'' - adytum swamp damselfly *''

Megalagrion amaurodytum ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion blackburni ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion calliphya ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion deceptor ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion dinesiotes ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion eudytum ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion hawaiiense ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion heterogamias ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *''

Megalagrion jugorum ''Megalagrion jugorum'' (common name Maui Upland Damselfly) is a possibly extinct species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae that is endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the West ...

'' - Maui upland damselfly, (

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

, Critically Endangered) *'' Megalagrion kauaiense'' *'' Megalagrion koelense'' - Koele mountain damselfly *'' Megalagrion leptodemas'' - crimson Hawaiian damselfly *'' Megalagrion mauka'' *'' Megalagrion molokaiense'' - Molokai damselfly *'' Megalagrion nesiotes'' - flying earwig Hawaiian damselfly *'' Megalagrion nigrohamatum'' - nigrohamatum damselfly *''

Megalagrion oahuense ''Megalagrion oahuense'' is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is endemic to Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland ...

'' - Oahu damselfly *'' Megalagrion oceanicum'' - oceanic Hawaiian damselfly *'' Megalagrion oresitrophum'' *''

Megalagrion orobates ''Megalagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. It contains approximately 26 species, all of which are endemic to Hawaii. Megalagrion damselflies are the only native damselflies in Hawaii, and are referred to as " pinap ...

'' *'' Megalagrion pacificum'' - Pacific Hawaiian damselfly *'' Megalagrion paludicola'' - Kauai bog damselfly *'' Megalagrion vagabundum'' *'' Megalagrion williamsoni'' *'' Megalagrion xanthomelas'' - orangeblack Hawaiian damselfly

References

Coenagrionidae Endemic fauna of Hawaii Taxa named by Robert McLachlan (entomologist) Zygoptera genera {{Coenagrionidae-stub