Devadatta (damselfly)

Devadatta
Devadatta argyoides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Superfamily: Amphipterygoidea
Family: Devadattidae
Dijkstra, Kalkman, Dow, Stokvis & van Tol, 2014
Genus: Devadatta
Kirby, 1890
Map showing Asian distribution of Devadatta
Distribution of Devadatta
Synonyms
  • Tetraneura Selys, 1859

Devadatta is a genus of damselflies in the family Devadattidae, which is a family in the superfamily Amphipterygoidea. Species of Devadatta inhabit forest streams in Southeast Asia, with the greatest diversity occurring in Borneo. The family Devadattidae contains only the genus Devadatta and about 13 described species.

Members of the genus are medium-sized damselflies characterised by their broad wings and distinctive wing venation. They are typically found in shaded forest habitats and are often associated with small streams.

Family classification

The genus Devadatta was established by Kirby in 1890 as a replacement for Tetraneura Selys, 1859, a preoccupied name. It was subsequently classified within Amphipterygidae, a family that included several geographically isolated genera from Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Morphological and molecular studies questioned the relationships among the genera traditionally placed in Amphipterygidae. In 2014, Dijkstra and colleagues recognised these lineages as separate families, establishing Devadattidae for Devadatta. Subsequent phylogenomic analyses supported the recognition of Devadattidae as a distinct family of damselflies.

In 2014, Dijkstra and colleagues concluded that these lineages are best treated as separate families and established Devadattidae for the genus Devadatta. Subsequent phylogenomic analyses supported the recognition of Devadattidae as a distinct family of damselflies.

Species

The following species are currently placed in Devadatta:

Etymology

The family name Devadattidae is derived from the type genus Devadatta, with the standard zoological suffix -idae used for animal families.

The genus name Devadatta was introduced by Kirby in 1890 as a replacement name for Tetraneura Selys, 1859, which was preoccupied. Kirby did not explain the derivation of the name. It is probably derived from the Sanskrit देवदत्त (Devadatta), meaning "given by the gods" or "god-given".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Dow, Rory A.; Stokvis, Frank R.; et al. (2014). "Redefining the damselfly families: a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata)". Systematic Entomology. 39 (1): 68–96. Bibcode:2014SysEn..39...68D. doi:10.1111/syen.12035.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kirby, W.F. (1890). A Synonymic Catalogue of Neuroptera Odonata, or Dragonflies. With an Appendix of fossil species. London: Gurney & Jackson. pp. 202 [111]. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.5534.
  3. 1 2 Selys-Longchamps, E. (1859). "Additions au synopsis des Caloptérygines". Bulletin de la Classe des Science, Academie Royale de Belgique. 2 (in French). 7: 437-451 [449] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. 1 2 3 Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 Dow, Rory A.; Hämäläinen, Matti; Stokvis, Frank R. (2015). "Revision of the genus Devadatta Kirby, 1890 in Borneo based on molecular and morphological methods, with descriptions of four new species (Odonata: Zygoptera: Devadattidae)". Zootaxa. 4033 (3): 301–349. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4033.3.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 26624409.
  6. ↑ "Devadatta". GBIF. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  7. ↑ Bridges, Charles A. (1994). Catalogue of the family-group, genus-group and species-group names of the Odonata of the world (3rd ed.). Urbana, Illinois: Charles A. Bridges. p. II.1. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.15291.
  8. ↑ Rehn, A.C. (2003). "Phylogenetic analysis of higher-level relationships of Odonata". Systematic Entomology. 28 (2): 181–239. Bibcode:2003SysEn..28..181R. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3113.2003.00210.x.
  9. ↑ Bybee, S.M.; Ogden, T.H.; Branham, M.A.; Whiting, M.F. (2008). "Molecules, morphology and fossils: a comprehensive approach to odonate phylogeny and the evolution of the odonate wing". Cladistics. 24 (4): 477–514. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2007.00191.x. PMID 34879634.
  10. 1 2 Bybee, S. M.; Kalkman, V. J.; Erickson, R. J.; Frandsen, P. B.; Breinholt, J. W.; Suvorov, A.; Ware, J. L. (2021). "Phylogeny and classification of Odonata using targeted genomics". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 160: 1–15. Bibcode:2021MolPE.16007115B. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107115. hdl:11093/2768. PMID 33609713.
  11. ↑ Apte, Vaman Shivram (2017). The Student's Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Containing Appendices on Sanskrit Prosody and Important Literary and Geographical Names in the Ancient History of India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 9788120800458.

Further reading