Aeshnidae

Mangrove darner (Coryphaeschna viriditas), Grand Cayman

Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies, found nearly worldwide, with more than 50 genera and over 450 species.<ref name="Dijkstra 2013">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="World Odonata List">Template:World Odonata List</ref>

The family includes some of the largest dragonflies, and can be over three inches long.

Description

Common worldwide or nearly worldwide genera are Aeshna and Anax. Anax includes some of the largest dragonflies, including the North American A. walsinghami, Hawaiian A. strenuus, European A. imperator and A. immaculifrons, and African A. tristis, but these are all exceeded by another member of the family, the Asian Tetracanthagyna plagiata, which, by both wingspan and weight, is the world's largest dragonfly.

There are 41 North American species in 11 genera in this family. Most European species belong to Aeshna. Their American name "darner" stems from the female abdomens looking like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor.

These dragonfly mate in flight. The eggs are deposited in water or close by. The larvae (nymphs or naiads) are generally slender compared to those of other families, with a long and flat extensible lower lip (labium). The larvae are aquatic predators, feeding on other insects and even small fish.

The adults spend large amounts of time in the air and seem to fly tirelessly with their four large and powerful wings. They can fly forwards, backwards, or hover like a helicopter. The wings are always extended horizontally.

Their abdomens are long and thin. Most are colored blue and or green, with black and occasionally yellow. Their large, hemispherical, compound eyes touch in the midline and nearly cover their heads. They have extremely good vision, and are voracious insect predators, using their sharp, biting mouthparts.

All are difficult to catch because of their flying ability and keen sight.

Taxonomy and genera

The name Aeshnidae was first proposed as a family by Elford Leach in 1815.<ref name="Leach 1815 encyclopaedia" />

The spelling of Aeshnidae may have resulted from a printer's error in spelling the Greek Aechma, "a spear".<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> The spelling Aeschnidae has been intermittently used over a period of time, but is now abandoned for the original name Aeshnidae. However, derived genus names (such as Rhionaeschna) retain the 'sch' spelling, as this is how they were first cited.

The oldest known members of the family are †Gomphaeschna inferna Pritykina, 1977 and †Baissaeschna Pritykina, 1977, both from the earliest Cretaceous (Berriasian) of Buryatia, Russia.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Gomphaeschna displays a very ancient divergence from the rest of the genus, and many fossil dragonfly genera appear to be closely related to it. For this reason, some studies have placed it and its fossil relatives in their own family, Gomphaeschnidae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> However, the World Odonata Checklist presently retains it in Aeshnidae.<ref name="World Odonata List2">Template:World Odonata List</ref>

• Acanthaeschna Template:Small
• Adversaeschna Template:Small
• Aeschnophlebia Template:Small
• Aeshna Template:Small
• Afroaeschna Template:Small
• Agyrtacantha Template:Small
• Allopetalia Template:Small
• Amphiaeschna Template:Small
• Anaciaeschna Template:Small
• Anax Template:Small
• Andaeschna Template:Small
• Antipodophlebia Template:Small
• Austroaeschna Template:Small
• Austrogynacantha Template:Small
• Austrophlebia Template:Small
• Basiaeschna Template:Small
• Boyeria Template:Small
• Brachytron Template:Small
• Caliaeschna Template:Small
• Castoraeschna Template:Small
• Cephalaeschna Template:Small
• Coryphaeschna Template:Small
• Dendroaeschna Template:Small
• Dromaeschna Template:Small
• Epiaeschna Template:Small
• Gomphaeschna Template:Small
• Gynacantha Template:Small
• Gynacanthaeschna Template:Small
• Heliaeschna Template:Small
• Indaeschna Template:Small
• Limnetron Template:Small
• Linaeschna Template:Small
• Nasiaeschna Template:Small
• Neuraeschna Template:Small
• Notoaeschna Template:Small
• Oligoaeschna Template:Small
• Oplonaeschna Template:Small
• Oreaeschna Template:Small
• Periaeschna Template:Small
• Petaliaeschna Template:Small
• Pinheyschna Template:Small
• Planaeschna Template:Small
• Plattycantha Template:Small
• Polycanthagyna Template:Small
• Racenaeschna Template:Small
• Remartinia Template:Small
• Rhionaeschna Template:Small
• Sarasaeschna Template:Small
• Spinaeschna Template:Small
• Staurophlebia Template:Small
• Telephlebia Template:Small
• Tetracanthagyna Template:Small
• Triacanthagyna Template:Small
• Zosteraeschna Template:Small

Fossil genera

The following fossil aeshnid genera are known. They have been variously classified in the subfamilies Aeschninae, Allopetalinae or Gomphaeschninae, with the latter two sometimes treated as separate families.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• †Alloaeschna Wighton & Wilson, 1986 (mid-late Paleocene of Alberta, Canada)
• †Anglogomphaeschna Nel & Fleck, 2014 (Late Eocene of England)
• †Antiquiala Template:Small (Early Eocene of Washington, US)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Anomalaeschna Bechly et al. 2001 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
• †Baissaeshna Pritykina, 1977 (Berriasian<ref name=":0" /> or Aptian of Buryatia, Russia)
• †Cretagomphaeschnaoides Zheng, Jarzembowski, Chang & Wang, 2016 (Cenomanian of Myanmar)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Cretalloaeschna Jarzembowski & Nel, 1996 (Berriasian of England)
• †Elektrogomphaeschna Pinkert, Bechly & Nel, 2017 (Late Eocene of Kaliningrad, Russia)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Eoshna Template:Small (Early Eocene of British Columbia, Canada)
• †Falsisophoaeschna Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008 (Barremian of Inner Mongolia, China)<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Gomphaeschnaoides Carle & Wighton, 1990 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
• †Huncoaeshna Petrulevičius, Nel & Voisin, 2010 (Early Eocene of Argentina)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Idemlinea Template:Small (Early Eocene of Washington, US)
• †Jingguaeshna Zheng & Zhang, 2021 (Middle Miocene of Yunnan, China)
• †Kachinaeshna Zheng et al., 2019 (Cenomanian of Myanmar)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
• †Kishenehna Archibald & Cannings, 2022 (Lutetian of Montana, US)
• †Kvacekia Prokop & Nel, 2002 (Early Oligocene of the Czech Republic)
• †Merlax Prokop & Nel, 2000 (Early Miocene of the Czech Republic)
• †Necracantha Martynov, 1929 (Late Oligocene of Kazakhstan)
• †Oligaeschna Piton & Théobald, 1939 (Middle Eocene to Middle Miocene of Europe, Colorado (US) & China)
• †Palaeaeschna Meunier, 1914 (Barremian of Spain)
• †Parabaissaeshna Bechly & Rasmussen, 2019 (earliest Eocene of Denmark)
• †Paramorbaeschna Bechly et al. 2001 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
• †Plesigomphaeschnaoides Bechly et al. 2001 (Hauterivian to Early Eocene of England, Mongolia, and Denmark)
• †Progomphaeschnaoides Bechly et al. 2001 (Aptian of Ceará, Brazil)
• †Sinojagoria Bechly et al. 2001 (Barremian of Liaoning, China)
• †Sophoaeschna Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008 (Barremian of Inner Mongolia, China)<ref name=":1" />
• †Ypshna Template:Small (Early Eocene of British Columbia, Canada)

See also

• List of dragonflies (Aeshnidae)

References

• Silsby, Jill (2001). Dragonflies of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.

External links

• List of Anisoptera of the World
• Aeshnidae Dragonflies of Borneo Island

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