Aeshnidae
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies, found nearly worldwide, with more than 50 genera and over 450 species.[1][2]
The family includes some of the largest dragonflies, and can be over three inches long.
Description
Common worldwide or nearly worldwide genera are Aeshna and Anax. Anax includes some of the largest dragonflies, including the North American A. walsinghami, Hawaiian A. strenuus, European A. imperator and A. immaculifrons, and African A. tristis, but these are all exceeded by another member of the family, the Asian Tetracanthagyna plagiata, which, by both wingspan and weight, is the world's largest dragonfly.
There are 41 North American species in 11 genera in this family. Most European species belong to Aeshna. Their American name "darner" stems from the female abdomens looking like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor.
These dragonfly mate in flight. The eggs are deposited in water or close by. The larvae (nymphs or naiads) are generally slender compared to those of other families, with a long and flat extensible lower lip (labium). The larvae are aquatic predators, feeding on other insects and even small fish.
The adults spend large amounts of time in the air and seem to fly tirelessly with their four large and powerful wings. They can fly forwards, backwards, or hover like a helicopter. The wings are always extended horizontally.
Their abdomens are long and thin. Most are colored blue and or green, with black and occasionally yellow. Their large, hemispherical, compound eyes touch in the midline and nearly cover their heads. They have extremely good vision, and are voracious insect predators, using their sharp, biting mouthparts.
All are difficult to catch because of their flying ability and keen sight.
Taxonomy and genera
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The name Aeshnidae was first proposed as a family by Elford Leach in 1815.[3]
The spelling of Aeshnidae may have resulted from a printer's error in spelling the Greek Aechma, "a spear".[4] The spelling Aeschnidae has been intermittently used over a period of time, but is now abandoned for the original name Aeshnidae. However, derived genus names (such as Rhionaeschna) retain the 'sch' spelling, as this is how they were first cited.
The oldest known members of the family are †Gomphaeschna inferna Pritykina, 1977 and †Baissaeschna Pritykina, 1977, both from the earliest Cretaceous (Berriasian) of Buryatia, Russia.[5] Gomphaeschna displays a very ancient divergence from the rest of the genus, and many fossil dragonfly genera appear to be closely related to it. For this reason, some studies have placed it and its fossil relatives in their own family, Gomphaeschnidae.[6] However, the World Odonata Checklist presently retains it in Aeshnidae.[7]
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- Acanthaeschna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Adversaeschna Watson, 1992Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Aeschnophlebia Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Aeshna Fabricius, 1775Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Afroaeschna Peters & Theischinger, 2011Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Agyrtacantha Lieftinck, 1937Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Allopetalia Selys, 1873Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Amphiaeschna Selys, 1871Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Anaciaeschna Selys, 1878Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Anax Leach, 1815Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Andaeschna De Marmels, 1994Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Antipodophlebia Fraser, 1960Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Austroaeschna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Austrogynacantha Tillyard, 1908Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Austrophlebia Tillyard, 1916Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Basiaeschna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Boyeria McLachlan, 1895Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Brachytron Evans, 1845Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Caliaeschna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Castoraeschna Calvert, 1952Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Cephalaeschna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Coryphaeschna Williamson, 1903Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Dendroaeschna Tillyard, 1916Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Dromaeschna Förster, 1908Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Epiaeschna Hagen in Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Gomphaeschna Selys, 1871Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Gynacantha Rambur, 1842Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Gynacanthaeschna Fraser, 1921Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Heliaeschna Selys, 1882Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Indaeschna Fraser, 1926Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Limnetron Förster, 1907Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Linaeschna Martin, 1908Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Nasiaeschna Selys in Förster, 1907Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Neuraeschna Hagen, 1867Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Notoaeschna Tillyard, 1916Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Oligoaeschna Selys, 1889Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Oplonaeschna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Oreaeschna Lieftinck, 1937Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Periaeschna Martin, 1908Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Petaliaeschna Fraser, 1927Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Pinheyschna Peters & Theischinger, 2011Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Planaeschna McLachlan, 1896Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Plattycantha Förster, 1908Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Polycanthagyna Fraser, 1933Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Racenaeschna Calvert, 1958Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Remartinia Navás, 1911Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Rhionaeschna Förster, 1909Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Sarasaeschna Karube & Yeh, 2001Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Spinaeschna Theischinger, 1982Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Staurophlebia Brauer, 1865Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Telephlebia Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Tetracanthagyna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Triacanthagyna Selys, 1883Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Zosteraeschna Peter & Theischinger, 2011Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Fossil genera
The following fossil aeshnid genera are known. They have been variously classified in the subfamilies Aeschninae, Allopetalinae or Gomphaeschninae, with the latter two sometimes treated as separate families.[8][9]
- †Alloaeschna Wighton & Wilson, 1986 (mid-late Paleocene of Alberta, Canada)
- †Anglogomphaeschna Nel & Fleck, 2014 (Late Eocene of England)
- †Antiquiala Archibald & Cannings, 2019Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Early Eocene of Washington, US)[10]
- †Anomalaeschna Bechly et al. 2001 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
- †Baissaeshna Pritykina, 1977 (Berriasian[5] or Aptian of Buryatia, Russia)
- †Cretagomphaeschnaoides Zheng, Jarzembowski, Chang & Wang, 2016 (Cenomanian of Myanmar)[11]
- †Cretalloaeschna Jarzembowski & Nel, 1996 (Berriasian of England)
- †Elektrogomphaeschna Pinkert, Bechly & Nel, 2017 (Late Eocene of Kaliningrad, Russia)[12]
- †Eoshna Archibald & Cannings, 2019Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Early Eocene of British Columbia, Canada)
- †Falsisophoaeschna Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008 (Barremian of Inner Mongolia, China)[13]
- †Gomphaeschnaoides Carle & Wighton, 1990 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
- †Huncoaeshna Petrulevičius, Nel & Voisin, 2010 (Early Eocene of Argentina)[14]
- †Idemlinea Archibald & Cannings, 2019Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Early Eocene of Washington, US)
- †Jingguaeshna Zheng & Zhang, 2021 (Middle Miocene of Yunnan, China)
- †Kachinaeshna Zheng et al., 2019 (Cenomanian of Myanmar)[15]
- †Kishenehna Archibald & Cannings, 2022 (Lutetian of Montana, US)
- †Kvacekia Prokop & Nel, 2002 (Early Oligocene of the Czech Republic)
- †Merlax Prokop & Nel, 2000 (Early Miocene of the Czech Republic)
- †Necracantha Martynov, 1929 (Late Oligocene of Kazakhstan)
- †Oligaeschna Piton & Théobald, 1939 (Middle Eocene to Middle Miocene of Europe, Colorado (US) & China)
- †Palaeaeschna Meunier, 1914 (Barremian of Spain)
- †Parabaissaeshna Bechly & Rasmussen, 2019 (earliest Eocene of Denmark)
- †Paramorbaeschna Bechly et al. 2001 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
- †Plesigomphaeschnaoides Bechly et al. 2001 (Hauterivian to Early Eocene of England, Mongolia, and Denmark)
- †Progomphaeschnaoides Bechly et al. 2001 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
- †Sinojagoria Bechly et al. 2001 (Barremian of Liaoning, China)
- †Sophoaeschna Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008 (Barremian of Inner Mongolia, China)[13]
- †Ypshna Archibald & Cannings, 2019Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (Early Eocene of British Columbia, Canada)
See also
References
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External links
Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
Template:Odonata Template:TaxonbarH Template:Authority control
- Pages with script errors
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- Aeshnidae
- Aeshnoidea
- Odonata of Asia
- Odonata of Africa
- Odonata of Australia
- Odonata of Europe
- Odonata of Oceania
- Odonata of North America
- Odonata of South America
- Taxa named by William Elford Leach
- Insects described in 1815
- Odonata families
- Dragonflies
- Extant Berriasian first appearances