Family CORDULIIDAE

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The Corduliidae is a large family worldwide containing almost 50 genera and some 400 species (Bridges 1994). It is represented in Australia by only two genera (Metaphya and Pentathemis) and two species. Subfamilial classification has undergone radical reorganisation recently, with the following formerly included subfamilies now regarded as families in their own right (Carle & Louton 1994; Carle 1995; Lohmann 1996): Gomphomacromiinae (Archaeophya); the endemic Cordulephyinae (Cordulephya); Macromiinae (Macromia); and Synthemistinae (Choristhemis, Eusynthemis, Synthemiopsis, Synthemis). The following genera formerly included in this family are now treated in the following families: Austrocorduliidae (Apocordulia, Austrocordulia, Austrophya, Lathrocordulia, Micromidia) (Bechly 1996); Oxygastridae (Hesperocordulia) (Bechly 1996); Pseudocorduliidae (Pseudocordulia) (Lohmann 1996) and Hemicorduliidae (Hemicordulia and Procordulia) (Bechly 1996).

The Australian corduliids show strong Gondwanan affinities in the genus Pentathemis (Watson 1969).

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Günther Theischinger for providing data and for checking the manuscript; the many colleagues and librarians for assistance with literature; and Dr A. Moffatt for advice on classical languages. We also wish to thank Dr B.J. Richardson and Dr D.W. Walton of the Bureau of Flora and Fauna for editorial advice; and Ha Diep for prompt and competent typing. Preparation of the Odonata section of the Catalogue was assisted by a grant from the Australian Biological Resources Study to W.W.K.H., without which the work would not have been possible. J.A.L.W. & W.W.K.H.

Diagnosis

Adult: eyes broadly confluent; tibial keels present in male; primary antenodals, if recognizable, poorly defined, most or all secondary antenodals aligned; median space free or crossed; triangular spaces differing to a greater or lesser extent in fore- and hindwing, triangle of forewing commonly elongate across wing axis, its base remote from arculus, that of hindwing elongate along it, its base close to arculus; anal loop variable, usually clearly defined; base of hindwing angulated in male; ovipositor reduced to vulvar scale, often vestigial.

Larva: broad-bodied; labium spoon-shaped, palps broad, covering face, their apposed distal margins variably crenulate or dentate, the crenations and teeth with or without setae, prementum and palps with major setae, median lobe entire.

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

Bridges, C.A. 1994. Catalogue of the family-group, genus-group and species-group names of the Odonata of the world. Urbana, Illinois : C.A. Bridges xiv 951 pp.

Carle, F.L. 1995. Evolution, taxonomy, and biogeography of ancient Gondwanian libelluloides, with comments on anisopteroid evolution and phylogenetic systematics (Anisoptera: Libelluloidea). Odonatologica 24: 383-424

Carle, F.L. & Louton, J.A. 1994. The larva of Neopetalia punctata and establishment of Austropetaliidae fam. nov. (Odonata). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 96(1): 147-155

Lohmann, H. 1996. Das phylogenetische System der Anisoptera (Odonata). Entomologische Zeitschrift 106: 209-252, 253-266, 360-367

Watson, J.A.L. 1969. The structure and affinities of Pentathemis membranulata Karsch (Odonata: Corduliidae). Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London (B) 38: 83-88