Macromia Scientific
  • Home
  • Emerald Damsels (Lestids)
    • Classification
    • Identification
    • Sea Club Rush
    • The Lestid Life
    • Balsa de Pinar
    • Chalcolestes
    • Sympecma
    • Lestes macrostigma
    • Southern Lestids >
      • Lestes barbarus >
        • UK Colonies
      • Lestes virens
    • Northern Lestids >
      • Lestes dryas >
        • Case Study 1 - L. dryas in the Weald
      • Lestes sponsa
    • Lestid References
  • Dragonflies round the world
    • Western Palearctic >
      • The Middle East
      • Iberia
      • UK
    • Afro-Tropical >
      • Cameroon
      • South Africa
    • Neo-Tropical >
      • Brazil
    • Nearctic >
      • Florida, USA
  • Dragonflies of Iberia
    • Topography and Climate
    • Exploring Iberia
    • Wetlands of Iberia
    • Where are we now?
  • The Euphyllopoda: their part in my downfall
  • Trip Reports
  • Publications
Classification of the Lestidae

Dijkstra and Kalkman (2012) produced a phylogeny or classification of the Lestidae which I summarise here.

The family (Lestidae) consists of around 150 species which all inhabit stagnant and often temporary waters. In Europe we have only 9 species in 3 genera classified as follows:

Sympecma - Brown rather dull species (2 species). These are winter damsels that overwinter as adults. The brown colouring helps to conceal them during the winter months.

Chalcolestes - Large green species (2 species) with no blue pruinosity. The adults diapause and usually in woody vegetation over water.

Lestes - the genus falls into two groups:
  • Northern Lestes - L. dryas and L. sponsa very similar in appearance with extensive blue pruinosity on males
  • Southern Lestes - L. barbarus, L. virens and L. macrostigma with variable amounts of blue pruinosity
Each species complete with distribution map has a page of its own but probably a good idea to go to the Identification page first



Proudly powered by Weebly