Family GOMPHOMACROMIIDAE
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 group, formerly regarded as a subfamily of Corduliidae by Theischinger & Watson (1984) and Watson et al. (1991) was recently elevated to family rank by Carle & Louton (1994). It is represented in Australia by one genus Archaeophya and two species. Theischinger & Watson (1978) describe the adults and Theischinger & Watson (1984) describe the larvae of both species of Archaeophya. Hawking (1997) lists the conservation status of Archaeophya adamsi Fraser as vulnerable.
Strong Gondwanan affinities are shown in the group (Theischinger & Watson 1984; Carle 1995).
Diagnosis
Adult: eyes broadly confluent; keels present on pro- and metatibiae, absent on mesotibia; forewing with 2 strongly differentiated primary antenodal crossveins; sectors of arculus diverging basally; hindwings with antenodal crossveins aligned and progressively more bracelike proximally; wings with 1-4 cubital-anal crossveins; anal loop elongate; abdomen relatively long and slender; male without genital lobe; male tergum 1 with ventrolateral hamule-like spines; ovipositor reduced (Theischinger & Watson 1978; Carle 1995).
Larva: frontal plate well-developed; prementum ladle-shaped with two distinct groups of setae; labial palps with palpal setae and distal teeth, lacking setae; pronotum laterally shelf-like; wing pads parallel; metasternum with transverse sutures meeting at point or fused at short seam; abdomen spinuliform, rather flat, lacking mid-dorsal and lateral spines; apex pointed (Hawking & Theischinger 1999).
General References
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
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.
Hawking, J.H. 1997. The conservation status of dragonflies (Odonata) from south-eastern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 56(2): 537-542
Theischinger, G. & Watson, J.A.L. 1978. The Australian Gomphomacromiinae (Odonata: Corduliidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 26: 399-431
Theischinger, G. & Watson, J.A.L. 1984. Larvae of Australian Gomphomacromiinae, and their bearing on the status of the Synthemis group of genera (Odonata: Corduliidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 32: 67-95
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.