Platystictidae

Family of damselflies

Platystictidae
Temporal range: Cenomanian–Present
PreꞒ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Protosticta gravelyi, male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Superfamily: Platystictoidea
Family: Platystictidae
Kennedy, 1920[1]
Genera

Platystictidae is a family of damselflies, commonly known as shadowdamsels. They look very similar to the threadtail damselfly family (Protoneuridae). They can mostly be found throughout Asia, Central America, and South America.

Most members of this family live in dense forests in the tropics where they are found around streams. Their wings are narrow and their abdomen slender and elongated. The adults probably do not disperse far as many species are known from a single location or have small ranges and there are probably other species as yet undescribed.[2]

The oldest members of the family belong to the genus Mesosticta from the Cenomanian aged Burmese amber of Myanmar.

Taxonomy

Platystictidae has 10 genera with over 200 species and is the only family in the superfamily Platystictoidea.[3][4]

See also

  • List of damselflies of the world (Platystictidae)

References

  1. ^ Kennedy, C.H. (1920). "The phylogeny of the zygopterous dragonflies as based on the evidence of the penes". Ohio Journal of Science. 21 (1): 19-29 [24] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  2. ^ Paulson, Dennis (2009). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton University Press. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-4008-3294-1.
  3. ^ Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Bechly, Günter; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Dumont, Henri J.; Fleck, Günther; Garrison, Rosser W.; Hämäläinen, Matti; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Karube, Haruki; May, Michael L.; Orr, Albert G.; Paulson, Dennis R.; Rehn, Andrew C.; Theischinger, Günther (2013). "The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013)". Zootaxa. 3703 (1): 36–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.9. hdl:10072/61365. ISSN 1175-5334.
  4. ^ Schorr, Martin; Paulson, Dennis; Deliry, Cyrille. "World Odonata List". Puget Sound Museum of Natural History. University of Puget Sound. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Platystictidae.
  • Data related to Platystictidae at Wikispecies
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Extant Odonata families
Suborder Zygoptera
Hemiphlebioidea
  • Hemiphlebiidae (ancient greenling)
Calopterygoidea
  • Amphipterygidae
  • Calopterygidae (jewelwings or demoiselles)
  • Chlorocyphidae (jewels)
  • Dicteriadidae (barelegs)
  • Diphlebiidae (azure damselflies)
  • Euphaeidae (gossamerwings)
  • Polythoridae (bannerwings)
Coenagrionoidea
(closed wing damselflies)
  • Coenagrionidae (narrow-winged or pond damselflies)
  • Isostictidae (narrow-wings)
  • Platycnemididae (white-legged damselflies)
  • Platystictidae (shadowdamsels)
  • Protoneuridae (threadtails, bambootails)
  • Pseudostigmatidae (helicopter damselflies or forest giants)
Lestoidea (superfamily)
  • Lestidae (spreadwings)
  • Lestoideidae
  • Megapodagrionidae (flatwings)
  • Perilestidae (shortwings)
  • Pseudolestidae
  • Synlestidae (sylphs or malachites)
Suborder Epiprocta
Epiophlebioptera
Anisoptera
(dragonflies)
Aeshnoidea
  • Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners)
  • Austropetaliidae
  • Gomphidae (clubtail dragonflies)
  • Petaluridae (giant dragonfly and relatives)
Cordulegastroidea
  • Chlorogomphidae
  • Cordulegastridae (spiketails)
  • Neopetaliidae (Neopetalia punctata)
Libelluloidea
  • Corduliidae (emerald dragonflies or green-eyed skimmers)
  • Libellulidae (skimmers or perchers)
  • Macromiidae (cruisers or skimmers)
  • Synthemistidae (tigertails)
Taxon identifiers
Platystictidae
Platystictoidea