LIBELLULIDAE

The 'skimmers' or 'perchers' and their relatives form the 'Libellulidae', the largest dragonfly family in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Even if these are excluded (as Silsby does), there still 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'' is mostly New World, but also boasts one of the few endangered odonates from Japan - ''Libellula angelina''. Many of the members of this genus are brightly colored or have banded wings. The related genus ''Plathemis'' includes the whitetails. The genus ''Celithemis'' contains several brightly marked species in the southern United States. Members of the genus ''Sympetrum'' 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'' and ''Zenithoptera'' are especially beautiful. Other common genera include ''Tramea'' and ''Pantala''.
The libellulids have stout-bodied larvae with the lower lip or labium developed into a mask over the lower part of the face.

Contents

Genera

References

Bibliography

Genera

★ ''Anatya''

★ ''Antidythemis''

★ ''Argyrothemis''

★ ''Brachymesia''

★ ''Brachydiplax''

★ ''Brechmorhoga''

★ ''Cannaphila''

★ ''Celithemis''

★ ''Crocothemis''

★ ''Dasythemis''

★ ''Diastatops''

★ ''Diplacodes''

★ ''Dythemis''

★ ''Edonis''

★ ''Elasmothemis''

★ ''Elga''

★ ''Erythemis''

★ ''Erythrodiplax''

★ ''Fylgia''

★ ''Garrisonia''

★ ''Gynothemis''

★ ''Idiataphe''

★ ''Leucorrhinia''

★ ''Libellula'' (including ''Plathemis'')

★ ''Macrodiplax''

★ ''Macrothemis''

★ ''Miathryia''

★ ''Micrathryia''

★ ''Misagria''

★ ''Nannophya''

★ ''Nannothemis''

★ ''Nephepeltia''

★ ''Neurothemis''

★ ''Nothodiplax''

★ ''Oligoclada''

★ ''Orthemis''

★ ''Orthetrum''

★ ''Pachydiplax''

★ ''Paltothemis''

★ ''Pantala''

★ ''Perithemis''

★ ''Phyllothemis''

★ ''Planiplax''

★ ''Porpax''

★ ''Pseudoleon''

★ ''Rhodopygia''

★ ''Scapanea''

★ ''Sympetrum''

★ ''Tauriphila''

★ ''Tholymis''

★ ''Tramea''

★ ''Trithemis''

★ ''Uracis''

★ ''Ypirangathemis''

★ ''Zenithoptera''

★ ''Zyxomma''

References

★ Animal Diversity Web

Bibliography

★ Silsby, Jill. 2001. ''Dragonflies of the World''. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.