Remarks on the taxonomy of Megapodagrionidae with emphasis on the larval gills (Odonata)

Vincent J. Kalkmana, Chee Yen Choongb, Albert G. Orrc, Kai Schütted

  1. National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, The Netherlands
  2. Centre for Insect Systematics , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
  3. CRC, Tropical Ecosystem Management, AES , Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
  4. Biozentrum Grindel und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Germany

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages 119-135, 2010
https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2010.9748366
Published: 1 April 210 (Received: 1 August 2009, Accepted: 16 February 2010)

Abstract

A list of genera presently included in Megapodagrionidae and Pseudolestidae is provided, together with information on species for which the larva has been described. Based on the shape of the gills, the genera for which the larva is known can be arranged into four groups: (1) species with inflated sack-like gills with a terminal filament; (2) species with flat vertical gills; (3) species in which the outer gills in life form a tube folded around the median gill; (4) species with flat horizontal gills. The possible monophyly of these groups is discussed. It is noted that horizontal gills are not found in any other family of Zygoptera. Within the Megapodagrionidae the genera with horizontal gills are, with the exception of Dimeragrion, the only ones lacking setae on the shaft of the genital ligula. On the basis of these two characters it is suggested that this group is monophyletic.

Keywords: Odonata, Dragonfly, Zygoptera, Megapodagrionidae, Pseudolestidae, Taxonomy, larva

Issue section: Article