Coenagrionoidea
| Coenagrionoidea | |
|---|---|
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| Saffron-faced blue dart (Pseudagrion rubriceps) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Zygoptera |
| Superfamily: | Coenagrionoidea Kirby, 1890[1] |
| Families | |
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| Distribution of Coenagrionoidea | |
Coenagrionoidea is a superfamily of damselflies comprising the families Coenagrionidae, Isostictidae and Platycnemididae.[2] It is the largest superfamily of damselflies, containing more than half of all recognised species and occurring on every continent except Antarctica.[3]
Some recent classifications have also recognised Protoneuridae as a separate family within the superfamily Coenagrionoidea, although other authorities retain its constituent genera within the family Coenagrionidae.[2][4][5]
Taxonomic history
The superfamily Coenagrionoidea was established by Kirby in 1890.[1]
Historically, the classification of coenagrionoid damselflies varied considerably, particularly regarding the placement of the threadtail damselflies (Protoneuridae) and giant damselflies (Pseudostigmatidae).[6]
Molecular phylogenetic studies during the early 21st century demonstrated that the traditional Protoneuridae was polyphyletic. In 2013, Dijkstra and colleagues transferred the New World protoneurids to Coenagrionidae and the Old World protoneurids to Platycnemididae, while also incorporating Pseudostigmatidae within Coenagrionidae.[6]
Subsequent molecular and morphological analyses recovered a distinct Neotropical lineage corresponding to part of the traditional Protoneuridae. On this basis, in 2025 Pessacq and colleagues reinstated Protoneuridae as a separate family within Coenagrionoidea.[4]
In 2026, Carter and colleagues accepted the recovered Neotropical lineage but retained it within Coenagrionidae rather than recognising Protoneuridae as a separate family.[2]
Phylogeny
Relationships among living damselfly superfamilies, based on Carter et al. (2026).[2]
Families
Coenagrionoidea comprises these living families:[2]
- Coenagrionidae Kirby, 1890
- Isostictidae Fraser, 1955
- Platycnemididae Jakobson and Bianchi, 1905
Some recent classifications instead recognise the Neotropical lineage Protoneuridae as a fourth family within Coenagrionoidea.[4][5]
- Protoneuridae Selys, 1860
Fossil record
The extinct family †Burmacoenagrionidae is known from Cretaceous Burmese amber deposits.[7]
Fossil genera
The following fossil genera are currently assigned to Coenagrionoidea:[7]
- †Balticoagrion Bechly, 2012
- †Hispanocoenagrion Nel et al., 1997
Etymology
The superfamily name Coenagrionoidea is derived from the type genus Coenagrion and the zoological suffix -oidea, used for superfamilies.
The genus name Coenagrion is derived from the Greek κοινός (koinos, "common" or "shared") and Agrion, an early generic name historically applied to damselflies.[8]
See also
References
- 1 2 Kirby, W.F. (1890). A Synonymic Catalogue of Neuroptera Odonata, or Dragonflies. With an Appendix of fossil species. London: Gurney & Jackson. pp. 202 [148]. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.5534.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Carter, Payton; Goodman, Aaron; Abbott, John; Bota Sierra, Cornelio; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Fomekong Lontchi, Judicael; Frandsen, Paul B.; Gonzalez Mozo, Laura; Guralnick, Rob; Hämäläinen, Matti; Joshi, Shantanu; Kohli, Manpreet K.; Lupiyaningdyah, Pungki; Montana, Katherine O.; Newton, Lacie; Onsongo, Violet; Orr, Albert G.; Pinto, Ângelo Parise; Sanchez-Herrera, Melissa; Sutherland, Laura N.; Theischinger, Gunther; Ware, Jessica L.; Zhang, Haomiao; Kalkman, Vincent J. (2026). "The classification and diversity of extant dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)". International Journal of Odonatology. 29: 95–124. doi:10.48156/1388.2026.1917385.
- ↑ Silsby, Jill (2001). Dragonflies of the World. CSIRO Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 0643065121.
- 1 2 3 Pessacq, Pablo; Anjos-Santos, Danielle; Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo; Lorenzo-Carballa, M. Olalla (2025). "A reappraisal of the family status of Neotropical Protoneuridae (Odonata: Zygoptera) using morphological and molecular information". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 203 (3) zlaf012. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf012.
- 1 2 Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- 1 2 Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Bechly, Günter; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Dumont, Henri J.; Fleck, Günther; Garrison, Rosser W.; Hämäläinen, Matti; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Karube, Haruki; May, Michael L.; Orr, Albert G.; Paulson, Dennis R.; Rehn, Andrew C.; Theischinger, Günther; Trueman, John W.H.; Van Tol, Jan; von Ellenrieder, Natalia; Ware, Jessica (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)". Zootaxa. 3703 (1): 36–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.9. hdl:10072/61365. ISSN 1175-5334.
- 1 2 "Paleobiology Database: Burmacoenagrionidae". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Endersby, Ian; Fliedner, Heinrich (2015). The Naming of Australia's Dragonflies. Eltham, Victoria, Australia: Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925260625.
