Libellula

Libellula is a genus of dragonflies, called chasers (in British English) or skimmers (in American English), in the family Libellulidae. They are distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Many have showy wing patterns and bright bodies.

Libellula is a genus of dragonflies, called chasers (in British English) or skimmers (in American English), in the family Libellulidae. They are distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Many have showy wing patterns and bright bodies. ==Etymology== The genus name comes from Latin libella, meaning "a carpenter's level", because of the insect's ability to stay level when hovering. ==Taxonomy== The type species is Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758, designated by William Forsell Kirby in 1889. Some subsequent authors have cited Libellula quadrimaculata as the type, but this contravenes the principle of priority. The taxa Ladona (corporals) and Plathemis (whitetails) have been considered as synonyms of Libellula, subgenera, or separate genera by different authorities. Some phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA sequence data and insect morphology has supported their status as subgenera of Libellula rather than independent genera; however, the World Odonata List retains these as distinct genera. ==Species== List of the 28 species accepted by the World Odonata List: ===Extant species=== ==Fossils== Libellula brodieri† Libellula calypso† Libellula doris † Libellula eusebioi† Libellula kieseli† Libellula martini† Libellula melobasis† Libellula pannewitziana† Libellula perse† Libellula sieboldiana† Libellula thetis† Libellula thoe† Libellula ukrainensis† ==References==

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1355714122 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.