Aeshnidae


Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies, found nearly worldwide, with more than 50 genera and over 450 species.
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 stems when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor.
These dragonflies mate in flight. The eggs are deposited in water or close by. The larvae are generally slender compared to those of other families, with a long and flat extensible lower lip. 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.
The spelling of Aeshnidae may have resulted from a printer's error in spelling the Greek Aechma, "a spear". 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 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 of Buryatia, Russia. 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. However, the World Odonata Checklist presently retains it in Aeshnidae.
  • Acanthaeschna
  • Adversaeschna
  • Aeschnophlebia
  • Aeshna
  • Afroaeschna
  • Agyrtacantha
  • Allopetalia
  • Amphiaeschna
  • Anaciaeschna
  • Anax
  • Andaeschna
  • Antipodophlebia
  • Austroaeschna
  • Austrogynacantha
  • Austrophlebia
  • Basiaeschna
  • Boyeria
  • Brachytron
  • Caliaeschna
  • Castoraeschna
  • Cephalaeschna
  • Coryphaeschna
  • Dendroaeschna
  • Dromaeschna
  • Epiaeschna
  • Gomphaeschna
  • Gynacantha
  • Gynacanthaeschna
  • Heliaeschna
  • Indaeschna
  • Limnetron
  • Linaeschna
  • Nasiaeschna
  • Neuraeschna
  • Notoaeschna
  • Oligoaeschna
  • Oplonaeschna
  • Oreaeschna
  • Periaeschna
  • Petaliaeschna
  • Pinheyschna
  • Planaeschna
  • Plattycantha
  • Polycanthagyna
  • Racenaeschna
  • Remartinia
  • Rhionaeschna
  • Sarasaeschna
  • Spinaeschna
  • Staurophlebia
  • Telephlebia
  • Tetracanthagyna
  • Triacanthagyna
  • ''Zosteraeschna''

    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.
  • †Alloaeschna Wighton & Wilson, 1986
  • †Anglogomphaeschna Nel & Fleck, 2014
  • †Antiquiala
  • †Anomalaeschna Bechly et al. 2001
  • †Baissaeshna Pritykina, 1977
  • †Cretagomphaeschnaoides Zheng, Jarzembowski, Chang & Wang, 2016
  • †Cretalloaeschna Jarzembowski & Nel, 1996
  • †Elektrogomphaeschna Pinkert, Bechly & Nel, 2017
  • †Eoshna
  • †Falsisophoaeschna Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008
  • †Gomphaeschnaoides Carle & Wighton, 1990
  • †Huncoaeshna Petrulevičius, Nel & Voisin, 2010
  • †Idemlinea
  • †Jingguaeshna Zheng & Zhang, 2021
  • †Kachinaeshna Zheng et al., 2019
  • †Kishenehna Archibald & Cannings, 2022
  • †Kvacekia Prokop & Nel, 2002
  • †Merlax Prokop & Nel, 2000
  • †Necracantha Martynov, 1929
  • †Oligaeschna Piton & Théobald, 1939
  • †Palaeaeschna Meunier, 1914
  • †Parabaissaeshna Bechly & Rasmussen, 2019
  • †Paramorbaeschna Bechly et al. 2001
  • †Plesigomphaeschnaoides Bechly et al. 2001
  • †Progomphaeschnaoides Bechly et al. 2001
  • †Sinojagoria Bechly et al. 2001
  • †Sophoaeschna Zhang, Ren & Pang, 2008
  • †''Ypshna''