19-482: Coenagrionidae is a family of damselflies, also known as pond damselfies, in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera . The Zygoptera are the damselflies , which although less known than the dragonflies , are no less common. More than 1,300 species are in this family, making it the largest damselfly family. The family Coenagrionidae has six subfamilies: Agriocnemidinae , Argiinae , Coenagrioninae , Ischnurinae , Leptobasinae , and Pseudagrioninae . This family
38-461: A body length of 117 mm (4.6 in) (some sources 125 mm (4.9 in)) and wing span of 160 mm (6.3 in). The longest extant odonate is the Neotropical helicopter damselfly Mecistogaster linearis (Zygoptera: Pseudostigmatidae) with a body length of 135 mm (5.3 in). The smallest living dragonfly is Nannophya pygmaea (Anisoptera: Libellulidae) from east Asia, with
57-633: A body length of 15 mm (0.59 in) and a wing span of 20 mm (0.79 in). The smallest damselflies (and also the smallest odonates) are species of the genus Agriocnemis (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) with a wing span of only 17–18 mm (0.67–0.71 in). These insects characteristically have large rounded heads covered mostly by well-developed, compound eyes , which provide good vision, legs that facilitate catching prey (other insects) in flight, two pairs of long, transparent wings that move independently, and elongated abdomens. They have three ocelli and short antennae . The mouthparts are on
76-848: A suborder along with Zygoptera and Anisozygoptera as well-understood and widely preferred terms. Cladogram of Epiprocta after Rehn et al. 2003 : Zygoptera (damselflies) Epiophlebioptera † Isophlebioptera † Heterophlebioptera † Stenophlebioptera † Aeschnidioptera Anisoptera (dragonflies) Cladogram of Odonatoptera including Odonata by Deregnaucourt et al. 2023. † Meganeuridae † Polytaxineuridae † Permaeschnidae † Callimokaltaniidae † Hemizygopteridae † Ditaxineuridae † Iverya † Pirouteliidae † Kargalotypidae † Zygophlebiidae † Moltenophlebiidae † Permophlebiidae † Xamenophlebiidae † Triassologus † Sinotriadophlebiidae † Mitophlebiidae † Paurophlebiidae † Triadophlebiidae † Permagrionidae Mecistogaster Mecistogaster
95-417: Is a genus of large Neotropical damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae , commonly known as helicopter damsels . There are eleven species distributed from Mexico to Argentina . Members of this genus have very long abdomens which they use to deposit their eggs in the water-filled rosettes of bromeliads growing on trees in the forest. Species include: This article related to Coenagrionoidea
114-470: Is a structure on the leading edge near the tip of the wing called the pterostigma . This is a thickened, hemolymph –filled and often colorful area bounded by veins. The functions of the pterostigma are not fully known, but it most probably has an aerodynamic effect and may also have a visual function. More mass at the end of the wing may also reduce the energy needed to move the wings up and down. The right combination of wing stiffness and wing mass could reduce
133-487: Is an infraorder) was proposed when it was thought that the "Anisozygoptera" was paraphyletic, composed of mostly extinct offshoots of dragonfly evolution. The four living species placed in that group are (in this treatment) in the infraorder Epiophlebioptera , whereas the fossil taxa that were formerly there are now dispersed about the Odonatoptera (or Odonata sensu lato ). World Odonata List considers Anisoptera as
152-473: Is closely related to mayflies and several extinct orders in a group called the Palaeoptera , but this grouping might be paraphyletic . What they do share with mayflies is the nature of how the wings are articulated and held in rest . Tarsophlebiidae is a prehistoric family of Odonatoptera that can be considered either a basal lineage of Odonata or their immediate sister taxon . The phylogenetic tree of
171-734: Is referred to as the narrow-winged damselflies or the pond damselflies. The Coenagrionidae enjoy a worldwide distribution, and are among the most common of damselfly families. This family has the smallest of damselfly species. More than 110 genera of the family Coenagrionidae are currently accepted. The name may be derived from Greek coen meaning shared or common and agrio meaning fields or wild. Adults are seen around various habitats including ponds and wetlands. The females lay their eggs among living or dead submerged vegetation, and in some species, even crawl about underwater depositing their eggs. The nymphs are usually found in debris or among living or dead submerged plant material. These genera belong to
190-471: The Permian of North America, reached wing spans of up to 71 cm (28 in) and a body length of 43 cm (17 in), making it the largest insect of all time. This insect belonged to the order Meganisoptera , the griffinflies, related to odonates but not part of the modern order Odonata in the restricted sense. They have one of the most complete fossil records going back 319 million years. The Odonata
209-503: The Anisoptera. An alternative term warriorfly has been proposed. The largest living odonate is the giant Central American helicopter damselfly Megaloprepus coerulatus (Zygoptera: Pseudostigmatidae) with a wing span of 191 mm (7.5 in). The heaviest living odonates are Tetracanthagyna plagiata (Anisoptera: Aeshnidae) with a wing span of 165 mm (6.5 in), and Petalura ingentissima (Anisoptera: Petaluridae) with
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#1732908370423228-558: The abdomen, while dragonfly nymphs respire through an organ in their rectum . Members of the crown group Odonata first appeared during the Late Triassic , though members of their total group , Odonatoptera , first appeared in the Late Carboniferous , making them one of the earliest groups of winged insects. The fossils of odonates and their cousins, including Paleozoic "giant dragonflies" like Meganeuropsis permiana from
247-474: The energy consumption of flying. A pterostigma is also found among other insects, such as bees. The nymphs have stockier, shorter, bodies than the adults. In addition to lacking wings, their eyes are smaller, their antennae longer, and their heads are less mobile than in the adult. Their mouthparts are modified, with the labium being adapted into a unique prehensile organ called a labial mask for grasping prey. Damselfly nymphs breathe through external gills on
266-813: The family Coenagrionidae: Odonata For extinct groups, see text Odonata is an order of predatory flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies (as well as the Epiophlebia damsel-dragonflies). The two major groups are distinguished with dragonflies (Anisoptera) usually being bulkier with large compound eyes together and wings spread up or out at rest, while damselflies (suborder Zygoptera ) are usually more slender with eyes placed apart and wings folded together along body at rest. Adult odonates can land and perch, but rarely walk. All odonates have aquatic larvae called naiads or nymphs , and all of them, larvae and adults, are carnivorous and are almost entirely insectivorous , although at
285-491: The larval stage they will eat anything that they can overpower, including small fish , tadpoles , and even adult newts . The adults are superb aerial hunters and their legs are specialised for catching prey in flight. Odonata in its narrow sense forms a subgroup of the broader Odonatoptera , which contains other dragonfly-like insects. The scientific study of the Odonata is called odonatology. Johan Christian Fabricius coined
304-440: The orders and suborders of odonates according to Bybee et al. 2021: Zygoptera (damselflies) [REDACTED] Anisozygoptera [REDACTED] Anisoptera (dragonflies) [REDACTED] In some treatments, the Odonata are understood in an expanded sense, essentially synonymous with the superorder Odonatoptera , but not including the prehistoric Protodonata . In this approach, instead of Odonatoptera,
323-469: The term Odonata in 1793 from the Ancient Greek ὀδών odṓn ( Ionic form of ὀδούς odoús ) "tooth". One hypothesis is that it was because their maxillae are notably toothed. The word dragonfly usually denotes only Anisoptera , but is sometimes used to mean all Odonata. Odonata enthusiasts avoid ambiguity by using the term true dragonfly , or simply anisopteran , when they mean just
342-495: The term Odonatoidea is used. The systematics of the "Palaeoptera" are by no means resolved; what can be said however is that regardless of whether they are called "Odonatoidea" or "Odonatoptera", the Odonata and their extinct relatives do form a clade . The Anisoptera was long treated as a suborder, with a third suborder, the Anisozygoptera (ancient dragonflies). However, the combined suborder Epiprocta (in which Anisoptera
361-484: The underside of the head and include simple chewing mandibles in the adult. Flight in the Odonata is direct , with flight muscles attaching directly to the wings; rather than indirect, with flight muscles attaching to the thorax, as is found in the Neoptera . This allows active control of the amplitude, frequency, angle of attack, camber and twist of each of the four wings entirely independently. In most families, there
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