Family CORDULEPHYIDAE
Compiler and date details
W.W.K. Houston, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, ACT, Australia J.A.L. Watson, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia Updated (1999) by A.A. Calder, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Introduction
This family including only the genera Neophya Selys and the Australian Cordulephya Selys with four species was formerly regarded as part of the Corduliidae by Watson et al. (1991) but elevated to familial rank by Bechly (1996).
Hawking & Theischinger (1999) give illustrations and a key to the three species of Cordulephya larvae found in New South Wales.
Diagnosis
Adult: primary antenodal brackets Ax1 and Ax2 are very indistinct or even indistinguishable from the secondaries (Fraser 1957); discoidal triangles secondarily quadrangular in both pairs of wings (Tillyard 1911; Fraser 1957); postdiscoidal field of forewing commencing with a single row of cells; Rspl strongly reduced or secondarily absent; CuAa parallel to hind margin of forewing (Bechly 1996).
Larva: prementum ladle-shaped, short, narrow at base, wide distally; 12-14 pairs of premental setae; labial palps with irregular digitate outer dentations bearing short setae; mid-dorsal abdominal spines absent; abdominal segments 7-9 with short lateral spines (Hawking & Theischinger 1999).
General References
Bechly, G. 1996. Morphologische Untersuchungen am Flügelgeäder der rezenten Libellen und deren Stammgruppenvertreter (Insecta; Pterygota; Odonata) unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Phylogenetischen Systematik und des Grundplanes der Odonata. Petalura, Special volume 2: 1-402
Fraser, F.C. 1957. A Reclassification of the Order Odonata. Sydney : Royal Zoological Society of N.S.W. 133 pp., 1 pl
Hawking, J. & Theischinger, G. 1999. Dragonfly larvae (Odonata). A guide to the identification of larvae of Australian families and to the identification and ecology of larvae from New South Wales. Albury : Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology Vol. 24 iv 218 pp.
Tillyard, R.J. 1911. On the genus Cordulephya. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 36: 388-422 pls xi-xii
Watson, J.A.L., Theischinger, G. & Abbey, H.M. 1991. The Australian Dragonflies. A guide to the identification, distributions and habitats of Australian Odonata. Canberra and Melbourne : CSIRO vii 278 pp.