Libelluloidea is a
superfamily of
dragonflies
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
.
A 2013 phylogenetic analysis suggests that this superfamily contains four families:
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Corduliidae
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-green ...
Selys, 1850
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Libellulidae
The chasers, darters, skimmers, and perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest family of dragonflies. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily M ...
Leach, 1815
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Macromiidae Needham, 1903
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Synthemistidae
The Synthemistidae are the family of dragonflies commonly known as tigertails, or sometimes called southern emeralds. This family is part of the superfamily Libelluloidea.
Synthemistidae is an ancient dragonfly family, with some species occu ...
Tillyard, 1911
Recent taxonomic changes
The following dragonfly families are now considered
invalid or potentially
disputed:
[Ware, J., May, M., & Kjer, K. (2007)]
Phylogeny of the higher Libelluloidea (Anisoptera: Odonata): an exploration of the most speciose superfamily of dragonflies.
''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'', 45(1), 289-310.
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Pseudocorduliidae
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Gomphomacromiidae
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Cordulephyidae
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Austrocorduliidae
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Oxygastridae
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Idomacromiidae
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Hemicorduliidae
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Urothemistidae
The following genera are no longer assigned to a family and are now placed ''
incertae sedis
or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
'' within this superfamily, Libelluloidea:
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Apocordulia''
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Archaeophya''
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Austrocordulia''
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Austrophya''
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Cordulephya''
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Gomphomacromia''
*''
Hesperocordulia''
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Idionyx''
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Idomacromia''
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Lathrocordulia''
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Lauromacromia''
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Macromidia''
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Micromidia''
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Neocordulia''
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Neophya''
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Nesocordulia''
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Oxygastra''
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Pseudocordulia''
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Syncordulia''
Fossils
The following
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
fossil taxa are also included in Libelluloidea:
* †
Araripelibellulidae Bechly, 1996
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Araripephlebiidae Bechly, 1998
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Bolcacorduliidae Gentilini, 2002
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Eocorduliidae Bechly, 1996
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Palaeomacromiidae Petrulevicius ''et al.'' 1999
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Valdicorduliidae Bechly, 1996
* †
Urolibellulidae Zeiri, Nel, & Garrouste, 2015
This superfamily is one of two extant groups in the large, ancient clade
Cavilabiata, in addition to
Cordulegastroidea. The oldest known member is ''
Araripelibellula brittanica'' from the
Berriasian
In the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age/ stage of the Early/Lower Cretaceous. It is the oldest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It has been taken to span the time between 143.1 ±0.6 Ma and 137.05 ± 0.2 (million years ago) ...
of England.
References
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1378460
Insect superfamilies
Dragonflies
Taxa named by William Elford Leach
Extant Berriasian first appearances