Isostictidae is a small family of medium-sized to large
damselflies restricted to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, and
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
.
It contains 12 genera and more than 40 species. Members of this family resemble species in the threadtail family (
Protoneuridae
The Protoneuridae are a family of damselflies. Most species are commonly known as threadtails, while others are commonly known as bambootails.
Characteristics
These are usually small-sized damselflies and their wings are narrow and mostly tran ...
).
Diagnosis
*Adult: The adults are small to medium in size with a length of 15–40 mm. They have two antenodal crossveins, most postnodal crossveins aligned with crossveins behind them, quadrilateral cell almost rectangular, no supplementary intercalary longitudinal veins, and an anal vein fused with wing margin. Their antennae are seven-segmented.
*Larva: The larva has a labial mask short, flat, palps narrow, palpal setae present, premental setae variable, median lobe shallowly cleft; caudal gills saccular to triquetral, strongly nodate.
Ecology
Adults of Isostictidae have many common names and they are narrow-wings, pinflies, pins, pondsitters, and wiretails.
*Instream habitat: Isostictid damselfly nymphs occur in streams, rivers, and riverine pools. The adults occur along these habitats. The nymphs are found on submerged vegetation, willow roots, leaf packs and detritus.
*Feeding ecology: Nymphs and adults are predators.
*Habits: Nymphs of these damselflies are clingers. Adults like to rest on many different plants.
*Life history: Some females of some species lay their eggs in dry twigs over
lentic
A lake ecosystem or lacustrine ecosystem includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (non-living) physical and chemical interactions. Lake ecosystems are a prime example of lentic ecosystems (''lentic'' re ...
freshwater. Other female species may lay their eggs on the bare rocks of waterfalls.
See also
*
List of damselflies of the world (Isostictidae)
References
Identification and Ecology of Australian Freshwater Invertebrates
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2005571
Odonata families
Odonata of Australia
Odonata of Oceania
Taxa named by Frederic Charles Fraser
Insects described in 1955
Damselflies