Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies, found nearly worldwide, with more than 50 genera and over 450 species. The family includes some of the largest dragonflies.
The petaltails of the family Petaluridae are among the most ancient of the extant true dragonflies, having fossil members from as early as the Jurassic, over 150 million years ago. A 2024 molecular phylogeny found that the petaltails comprise two clades, a Gondwanan clade and a Laurasian clade. Their divergence time was estimated at 160 million years ago.
The Gomphidae are a family of dragonflies commonly referred to as clubtails or club-tailed dragonflies. The family contains about 90 genera and 900 species found across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The name refers to the club-like widening of the end of the abdomen. However, this club is usually less pronounced in females and is entirely absent in some species.
The Platycnemididae are a family of damselflies. They are known commonly as white-legged damselflies. There are over 400 species native to the Old World. The family is divided into several subfamilies.
Ictinogomphus is a genus of dragonflies in the family Gomphidae. They are medium to large, yellow and black with clear wings. Species occur in Africa, Asia and Australia.
The Protoneuridae are a family of damselflies. Most species are commonly known as threadtails, while others are commonly known as bambootails.
The Megapodagrionidae are a family of damselflies, commonly called flatwings for their habit of spreading out the hind wings horizontally when at rest.
Euphaeidae, sometimes incorrectly named Epallagidae and commonly called gossamerwings, is a family of damselflies in the odonate superfamily Calopterygoidea. The family is small, consisting of around 78 species living species in nine genera occurring in the Palearctic, Australasia, and Asia. The family contains two subfamilies, Euphaeinae, encompassing all the living species and a single fossil genus, and the extinct Eodichromatinae, encompassing fossil genera from the Eocene to late Oligocene. Euphaeid species are large and mostly metallic-coloured, looking similar to species of damselflies in the family Calopterygidae.
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.
The Synthemistidae are the family of dragonflies commonly known as tigertails, or sometimes called southern emeralds. This family is part of the superfamily Libelluloidea.
Coenagrionoidea is a superfamily of closed wing damselflies of the order Odonata found worldwide.
Aeshnoidea is a superfamily of dragonflies that contains two extant families, Aeshnidae and Austropetaliidae.
Cordulegastroidea is a superfamily of dragonflies that contains three families.
Thaumatoneuridae is a family of damselflies in the order Odonata. There are at least three genera and about five described species in Thaumatoneuridae.
Cordulephyidae was formerly considered a distinct family of dragonflies occurring in Africa and Australia. Recent taxonomic revisions have classified the species previously placed in Gomphomacromiidae to now be within the superfamily Libelluloidea.
Up until recently, Lindeniidae was considered a family of dragonflies occurring in Australia. It is no longer recognised.
Apocordulia is a genus of dragonflies in the superfamily Libelluloidea, endemic to the Murray-Darling Basin in eastern Australia.
Gomphomacromiidae was formerly considered a distinct family of dragonflies occurring in Chile and Australia. Recent taxonomic revisions have classified the species previously placed in Gomphomacromiidae to now be within the superfamily Libelluloidea.
Pseudocordulia is a small genus of dragonflies endemic to tropical northeastern Australia. They are medium-sized, bronze-black dragonflies with clear wings.
Calopterygoidea is a superfamily of damselflies in the order Odonata.
