Biology:Dicteriadidae

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Dicteriadidae is a small family of damselflies in the superfamily Polythoroidea, endemic to South America.[1] The family contains only two living species, Dicterias atrosanguinea and Heliocharis amazona, each representing a monotypic genus.[2] Members of the family inhabit tropical forests of the Amazon Basin and surrounding regions and are notable for their slender bodies, extremely long legs and distinctive wing venation.[3][4]

First recognised by Sélys in 1853, Dicteriadidae is one of the oldest family-level lineages recognised among damselflies.[3] Although the family has been known under several different names during its taxonomic history, modern classifications recognise Dicteriadidae as a distinct South American lineage containing only the genera Dicterias and Heliocharis.[5][6]

Description

Dicteriadids are medium-sized damselflies with slender bodies and remarkably long legs. The wings are strongly stalked at the base and possess a distinctive venation pattern that has long separated the family from other damselfly groups.[3] Males have simple upper anal appendages and greatly reduced lower appendages.[3]

The family contains only two species. Heliocharis amazona is a bluish-green species with a long, expanded pterostigma that occurs throughout parts of the Amazon Basin.[3] Dicterias atrosanguinea is a smaller reddish species with exceptionally long, slender legs, known principally from northern South America.[3] Despite more than 170 years of study, no additional living species have been recognised, making Dicteriadidae one of the smallest damselfly families.[2]

Taxonomic history

The lineage was first recognised by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1853 as the Legion Dicterias, comprising the genera Dicterias and Heliocharis.[3] During the twentieth century, the group was treated under several different family names, including Heliocharitidae and Dicteriastidae.[7][8]

Modern classifications recognise the family as Dicteriadidae, the oldest available family-group name for the lineage.[2] The name is based on Sélys' 1853 "Legion Dicterias", which corresponds to a modern family-level taxon. During the twentieth century the group was variously referred to as Heliocharitidae, Dicteriastidae and Dicteriidae, but Dunkle (1991) concluded that Dicteriadidae is the correct family-group name under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.[9][5][10]

In 2026, Carter and colleagues placed Dicteriadidae within the newly recognised superfamily Polythoroidea, together with Heteragrionidae, Hypolestidae, Mesagrionidae, Philogeniidae, Polythoridae and Rimanellidae, reflecting phylogenomic evidence for their close evolutionary relationships.[1]

Species

The following species are currently placed in Dicteriadidae:[2]

Etymology

The family name Dicteriadidae is derived from the type genus Dicterias, with the standard zoological suffix -idae used for animal families.

The genus name Dicterias is presumably derived from the Greek δεικτηριάς (deiktērias, "female mime" or "female mimic").[5][11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Carter, Payton; Goodman, Aaron; Abbott, John; Bota Sierra, Cornelio; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Fomekong Lontchi, Judicael; Frandsen, Paul B. et al. (2026). "The classification and diversity of extant dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)". International Journal of Odonatology 29: 95–124. doi:10.48156/1388.2026.1917385. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "World Odonata List". University of Puget Sound. https://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversity-resources/dragonflies/world-odonata-list2/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Selys-Longchamps, E. (1853). "Synopsis des Caloptérygines" (in French). Bulletins de l'Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique 20 (Annexe): 1-73 [54]. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2728767. 
  4. ↑ Fleck, G., Neiss, U. G., & Hamada, N. (2012). The larva of Dicterias Selys, 1853 (Odonata: Heliocharitidae (= Dicteriadidae)), and taxonomic and phylogenetic notes on Heliocharitidae. Zootaxa, 3164, 32-40.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Dunkle, S.W. (1991). "Review of the neotropical damselfly family Dicteriadidae (new spelling), with an annotated bibliography (Zygoptera)". Odonatologica 20 (4): 401–416. https://natuurtijdschriften.nl/pub/591960. 
  6. ↑ Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Dow, Rory A.; Stokvis, Frank R.; Van Tol, Jan (2014). "Redefining the damselfly families: A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata)". Systematic Entomology 39 (1): 68–96. doi:10.1111/syen.12035. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12035. 
  7. ↑ Tillyard, R.J.; Fraser, F.C. (1939). "A reclassification of the order Odonata based on some new interpretations of the venation of the dragonfly wing. Part II". The Australian Zoologist 9: 195–221 [207]. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38926841. 
  8. ↑ Montgomery, B.E. (1959). "Geographical distribution of the New World calopterygine dragonflies, with notes on their evolutionary position". in Hewer, H.R.; Riley, N.D.. Proceedings of the XVth International Congress of Zoology, London, 16–23 July 1958. London: XVth International Congress of Zoology. pp. 1001–1003. 
  9. ↑ Bridges, Charles A. (1994). Catalogue of the family-group, genus-group and species-group names of the Odonata of the world (3rd ed.). Urbana, Illinois: Charles A. Bridges. p. II.1. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.15291. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15106020. 
  10. ↑ Trueman, John W.H. (1999). "The Family-Group Names Based on Selys' Légions". International Journal of Odonatology 2 (2): 141–144. doi:10.1080/13887890.1999.9748125. Bibcode: 1999IJOdo...2..141T. 
  11. ↑ Sophocles, E. A. (1860). A Glossary of Later and Byzantine Greek. Memoirs of the American Academy. 7. London: Trübner & Co.. pp. 624 [244]. https://archive.org/details/jstor-25058192. 

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