Family MEGAPODAGRIONIDAE

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Family MEGAPODAGRIONIDAE

Compiler and date details

September 2014 - ABRS

W.W.K. Houston, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, ACT, Australia J.A.L. Watson, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia Updated (1999) by A.A. Calder, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Introduction

The Megapodagrionidae are generally regarded as belonging to the Lestoidea, although Fraser (1957) placed them in the Coenagrionoidea. The family is of moderate size, with almost 40 recognized genera and 236 species (Bridges 1994), predominantly Central and South American (c. 13 genera, 80–90 species), Australasian (more than five genera, c. 30 species) and African, including Madagascar (c. seven genera, almost 20 species). The relationships between these southern faunas are not evident. Racenis (1959) subdivided the family on the basis of venational characters, but his classification does not contribute significantly to biogeographical understanding. Only one subfamily, the Argiolestinae, is represented in Australia. The status of the Australian genera has recently been revised by Theischinger (1998) who has also given a key to the final instar larvae of the megapodagrionid genera known from Australia. Watson (1977) revised the Western Australian species of Argiolestes now included in the genus Archiargiolestes Kennedy. Theischinger & O'Farrell (1986) resurrected the name Austroargiolestes for a genus to include the A. icteromelas group from eastern Australia and Theischinger (1998) erected Griseargiolestes for the Argiolestes griseus group of species and Miniargiolestes for the south-western Australian Argiolestes minimus Tillyard. Hawking & Theischinger (1999) give an illustrated key to several species of Griseargiolestes known from New South Wales.

Diagnosis

Adult: two, rarely three, antenodal crossveins; postnodal crossveins more or less aligned with crossveins behind them; discoidal cell with acute distal angle; no oblique vein between R3 and IR3; origin of IR3 and R4 nearer to nodus than to arculus; supplementary intercalary longitudinal veins present.

Larva: labium short, flat, prementum lacking setae, palps narrow, setate, movable hook unarmed, median lobe cleft; caudal gills lamellate to triquetral nodate, the distal segment slender, lamellae held horizontally.