Biology:Austrocorduliidae

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Austrocorduliidae is a small family of dragonflies found in Australia and South Africa.[1][2]

Characteristics

Members of Austrocorduliidae are medium-sized dragonflies, often with dark metallic colouring. They typically inhabit streams, rivers and forested wetlands, and several species are adapted to cool montane habitats.[2]

Genera

The World Odonata List (2025) recognises the following genera in Austrocorduliidae:[3]

Taxonomic history

Austrocorduliidae has had a complex taxonomic history. Although the family was generally associated with the superfamily Libelluloidea, its precise placement remained uncertain for many years, and its genera were variously assigned by different authors.[4]

Molecular and morphological analyses published in 2025 helped to resolve this uncertainty. These studies supported Austrocorduliidae as a distinct lineage within Libelluloidea and provided a clearer framework for the family’s composition.[5]

Some genera now included in Austrocorduliidae — such as Cordulephya — have previously been placed in other families, but are treated within Austrocorduliidae in the current World Odonata List (2025).[3]

References

  1. 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. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Theischinger, Günther; Hawking, John (2006). The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia (First ed.). Collingwood, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0-64309-073-6. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "World Odonata List". University of Puget Sound. https://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversity-resources/dragonflies/world-odonata-list2/. 
  4. Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Bechly, Günter; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Dumont, Henri J.; Fleck, Günther; Garrison, Rosser W.; Hämäläinen, Matti et al. (2013). "The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013)" (in en). Zootaxa 3703 (1): 36–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.9. ISSN 1175-5334. https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.3703.1.9. 
  5. Goodman, Aaron; Abbott, John C.; Bybee, Seth; Ehlert, Juliana; Frandsen, Paul B.; Guralnick, Rob; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Newton, Lacie et al. (2025-10-09). Christopher Owen. ed. "Systematic and taxonomic revision of emerald and tigertail dragonflies (Anisoptera: Synthemistidae and Corduliidae)". Systematic Entomology. doi:10.1111/syen.70000. 

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