Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous.
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
The Heteroptera are a group of about 40,000 species of insects in the order Hemiptera. They are sometimes called "true bugs", though that name more commonly refers to the Hemiptera as a whole. "Typical bugs" might be used as a more unequivocal alternative, since the heteropterans are most consistently and universally termed "bugs" among the Hemiptera. "Heteroptera" is Greek for "different wings": most species have forewings with both membranous and hardened portions ; members of the primitive sub-group Enicocephalomorpha have completely membranous wings.
The petaltails of the family Petaluridae are apparently the most ancient of the extant true dragonflies, having fossil members from as early as the Jurassic.
The Cordulegastridae are a family of Odonata (dragonflies) from the suborder Anisoptera. They are commonly known as spiketails. Some vernacular names for the species of this family are biddie and flying adder. They have large, brown or black bodies with yellow markings, and narrow unpatterned wings. Their bright eyes touch at a single point, and they can be found along small, clear, woodland streams, flying slowly 30 to 70 cm above the water. When disturbed, however, they can fly very rapidly. They usually hunt high in forest vegetation, and prefer to capture prey resting on leaves or branches.
The Himalayan relict dragonfly is one of four species of Epiprocta in the family Epiophlebiidae. They have at one time been classified as a suborder Anisozygoptera, considered as intermediate between the dragonflies and the damselflies, partly because the hind wings and fore wings are very similar in size and shape, and partly because the insect at rest holds them back over the body as damselflies do. These attributes now are known to be misleading however; the genus Epiophlebia shares a more recent ancestor with dragonflies and became separated from other Anisoptera in and around the uplifting Himalayas.
Austrosynthemis is a monotypic genus of dragonfly in the family Synthemistidae. Its single species, Austrosynthemis cyanitincta, more commonly known as the turquoise tigertail, is found in south-western Australia, where it inhabits streams.
The genus Epiophlebia is the sole member of the family Epiophlebiidae, which is itself the sole living representative of the Epiproctan infraorder Epiophlebioptera, and it contains only three species. The first two species were historically placed in their own suborder Anisozygoptera, considered intermediate between dragonflies and damselflies, mainly because the hind wings are very similar in size and shape to the forewings and held back over the body at rest, as in damselflies. It has more recently been recognized that the genus Epiophlebia shares a more recent ancestor with dragonflies, and the group has accordingly been reclassified as an infraorder within the dragonflies. Very recently a third species, Epiophlebia sinensis, has been described from Heilongjiang province in northeast China, bridging Epiophlebia distribution gap between Nepal and Japan. A fourth species has been claimed from larval material from South China, but this is not universally accepted. Epiophlebia species are a freshwater indicator of a river ecosystem health. A study that has been conducted on the head anatomy of Epiophlebia has verified the presence of 41 muscles in the head of the larva. Like in true dragonflies (Anisoptera) the aquatic nymphs breathe through a rectal chamber, but jet propulsion has yet to be documented. Epiophlebia species are a representative of a dragonfly fauna which originated during the Jurassic period on the rising continent of Eurasia.
The Chlorogomphidae are a family of Odonata (dragonflies) from the suborder Anisoptera.
Libelluloidea is a superfamily of dragonflies.
The Japanese relict dragonfly, is one of the four species of the genus Epiophlebia, belonging to the family Epiophblebiidae, which is itself the sole living representative of the Epiproctan infraorder Epiophlebioptera.
The Stenophlebiidae is an extinct family of medium-sized to large fossil odonates from the Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous period that belongs to the damsel-dragonfly grade ("anisozygopteres") within the stem group of Anisoptera. They are characterized by their long and slender wings, and the transverse shape of the discoidal triangles in their wing venation.
The Tarsophlebiidae is an extinct family of medium-sized fossil odonates from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous period of Eurasia. They are either the most basal member of the damsel-dragonfly grade ("anisozygopteres") within the stem group of Anisoptera, or the sister group of all Recent odonates. They are characterized by the basally open discoidal cell in both pairs of wings, very long legs, paddle-shaped male cerci, and a hypertrophied ovipositor in females.
Anax walsinghami is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae (darners), in the suborder Anisoptera ("dragonflies"). The species is known generally as the giant darner or giant green darner. The distribution range of Anax walsinghami includes Central America and North America.
Stenogomphurus is a genus of clubtails in the family of dragonflies known as Gomphidae. There are at least two described species in Stenogomphurus, both found in North America.
Gomphurus is a genus of clubtails in the family of dragonflies known as Gomphidae. There are about 13 described species in Gomphurus.
Hylogomphus is a genus of clubtails in the family of dragonflies known as Gomphidae. There are about six described species in Hylogomphus.
The giant hawker or the gigantic riverhawker, is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found throughout Sundaland, having been recorded on Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is the type species for the genus Tetracanthagyna.
