Larval and molecular characters help to solve phylogenetic puzzles in the highly diverse dragonfly family Libellulidae (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera): The Tetrathemistinae are a polyphyletic group

A remarkable new genus and species of dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera: Libellulidae) from Brazil and notes on its bionomics and phylogenetic affinities

“…Th e work of Westfall (1988), the present study for which the phylogenetic affi nities are established on larval characters, and some other recent studies (Fleck 2001(Fleck , 2004Fleck & Legrand 2006;Fleck & Orr 2006;Fleck et al 2008) suggest that the imaginal characters, and in particular wing venation, are much more often prone to homoplasious evolution than formerly supposed. Taxonomic or systematic works predominantly based on wing venation (and adult characters) might be in need of substantial revision, at least within the Libellulidae.…”

“…Taxonomic or systematic works predominantly based on wing venation (and adult characters) might be in need of substantial revision, at least within the Libellulidae. Th e larvae, however, seem to maintain their general appearance despite ecological and imaginal diversifi cation (Fleck 2004;Fleck & Orr 2006;Fleck et al 2008;Legrand & Fleck 2005). It is obvious that the imaginal phase experiences most of the evolutionary change and it can be speculated that it is mostly this ontogenetic phase that drives speciation phenomena (see Fleck 2004;Fleck & Orr 2006;Fleck et al 2008).…”

<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013) </span></span>

“…The monophyly of Libellulidae is strongly supported (Bybee et al 2008;Dumont et al 2010;Fleck et al 2008b;Ware et al 2007). Although a few clusters of related genera have been identified, no overall divisions are apparent (Fleck et al 2008a;Ware et al 2007;2008;Pilgrim & von Dohlen 2007). Of many named subfamilies, only Urothemistidae Lieftinck, 1954(= Macrodiplactidae Fraser, 1957 is sometimes recognized as a family (e.g.…”

“…Carle et al 2008;Dijkstra & Vick 2006;Fleck et al 2008a;Pilgrim & von Dohlen 2008;Ware et al 2007). Moreover, as any potential outgroup of winged insects lacks wings, wing-based phylogenies and classifications (e.g.…”

“…Studies incorporating other morphological features, such as those of genitalia and larvae, may help overcome this (e.g. Fleck et al 2008a;Pessacq 2008;Rehn 2003;von Ellenrieder 2002), as increasingly are genetic studies (e.g. Bybee et al 2008;Dumont et al 2010).…”