Family MACROMIIDAE

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Introduction

The Macromiidae contains three genera and 125 species worldwide (Bridges 1994). It is represented in Australia by two species of Macromia that are found in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The genus Macromia was formerly regarded as belonging to Corduliidae by Watson et al. (1991) but both Carle & Louton (1994) and Bechly (1996) accord the corduliid subfamily Macromiinae family status. The adults are keyed in Watson et al. (1991).

Diagnosis

Adult: eyes approximate dorsally; RP3/4 and MA distinctly undulate in both pairs of wings; primary antenodal brackets ax1 and ax2 indistinct; pterostigmata not concave posteriorly, length about 8 times width; shorter than distance between costal braces; pterostigmal brace obsolete; anterior lamina without elongate medial cleft; anal loop rounded without midrib; proximal side of hind wing triangle distal to arculus by about length of arculus; sectors of arculus stalked; without lateral abdominal carinae; tarsal claws with ventral tooth distinctly prolonged about as long as claw tip; anterior hamuli short, erect; male with genital lobe; cerci not strongly expanded distally; ovipositor reduced; large, long-legged drgonflies, black or metallic green marked with yellow (Watson et al. 1991; Carle & Louton 1994; Bechly 1996).

Larva: top of head with nipple-like projection or low rounded tubercle near the postero-lateral angle; larval frontal plate developed as upcurving pyramidal horn; incisor 2 of mandible smaller than all other incisors; mesosternum with transverse tubercle; legs very long, spidery, more than twice as long as abdomen (Carle & Louton 1994; Bechly 1996).

General References

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

Bridges, C.A. 1994. Catalogue of the family-group, genus-group and species-group names of the Odonata of the world. Urbana, Illinois : C.A. Bridges xiv 951 pp.

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

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.

Common Name References

Theischinger, G., Hawking, J. & Orr, A. 2021. The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing 2nd edn. (Cruisers)

History of changes