Polythoridae

Polythoridae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Superfamily: Polythoroidea
Family: Polythoridae
Munz, 1919
Genera
Map showing South and Central American distribution of Polythoridae
Distribution of Polythoridae

Polythoridae is a family of damselflies in the superfamily Polythoroidea, found in the tropical regions of Central and South America. Commonly known as bannerwings, they inhabit forest streams and are noted for their broad, often brightly patterned wings.

The family contains about 60 recognised species in seven genera and has long been recognised as a distinct evolutionary lineage of damselflies.

Description

Polythorids are medium-sized damselflies associated with streams and rivers in tropical forests. They are commonly known as bannerwings because many species possess broad wings marked with striking bands, spots or patches of colour.

The larvae are unusual among damselflies in possessing additional gills along the sides of the abdomen as well as the three terminal tail gills. These gills are swollen and may bear angular or finger-like projections. Adults are recognised by their broad, densely veined wings, many species displaying striking bands and patches of colour.

Distribution and habitat

Members of the family occur in the Neotropical region, from Central America into South America. They inhabit streams and rivers in forested habitats, where adults are commonly encountered flying or perching along shaded watercourses.

Taxonomic history

Polythoridae has long been recognised as a distinctive family of Neotropical damselflies. Similarities between the larvae of Polythoridae and Euphaeidae led some authors to suggest a close relationship between the two families. However, morphological and molecular studies have consistently recovered Polythoridae as a distinct lineage, and modern classifications regard the family as monophyletic.

In 2026, Carter and colleagues placed Polythoridae within the newly recognised superfamily Polythoroidea, together with Dicteriadidae, Heteragrionidae, Hypolestidae, Mesagrionidae, Philogeniidae and Rimanellidae, reflecting phylogenomic evidence for the relationships among these predominantly Neotropical damselfly lineages.

Genera

The following genera are currently placed in Polythoridae:

Etymology

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

The genus name Polythore was introduced by Calvert in 1917 as a replacement for Thore Selys, 1853, which was preoccupied by a name previously used for a genus of spiders. Calvert stated that the name Polythore refers to the denser wing venation of its members compared with other genera in the group.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Munz, P.A. (1919). "A venational study of the suborder Zygoptera (Odonata) with keys for the identificaton of genera". Memoirs of the American Entomological Society. 3: 1–78 [9] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 Carter, Payton; Goodman, Aaron; Abbott, John; Bota Sierra, Cornelio; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Fomekong Lontchi, Judicael; Frandsen, Paul B.; Gonzalez Mozo, Laura; Guralnick, Rob; Hämäläinen, Matti; Joshi, Shantanu; Kohli, Manpreet K.; Lupiyaningdyah, Pungki; Montana, Katherine O.; Newton, Lacie; Onsongo, Violet; Orr, Albert G.; Pinto, Ângelo Parise; Sanchez-Herrera, Melissa; Sutherland, Laura N.; Theischinger, Gunther; Ware, Jessica L.; Zhang, Haomiao; Kalkman, Vincent J. (2026). "The classification and diversity of extant dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)". International Journal of Odonatology. 29: 95–124. doi:10.48156/1388.2026.1917385.
  4. 1 2 3 Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Bechly, Günter; Bybee, Seth M.; Dow, Rory A.; Dumont, Henri J.; Fleck, Günther; Garrison, Rosser W.; Hämäläinen, Matti; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Karube, Haruki; May, Michael L.; Orr, Albert G.; Paulson, Dennis R.; Rehn, Andrew C.; Theischinger, Günther (2013). "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)". Zootaxa. 3703 (1): 36–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.9. ISSN 1175-5334.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Garrison, Rosser W.; von Ellenrieder, Natalia; Louton, Jerry A. (2010). Damselfly Genera of the New World: An Illustrated and Annotated Key to the Zygoptera. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 490.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B.; Kalkman, Vincent J.; Dow, Rory A.; Stokvis, Frank R.; Van Tol, Jan (2014). "Redefining the damselfly families: A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata)". Systematic Entomology. 39 (1): 68–96. doi:10.1111/syen.12035.
  7. ↑ 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.
  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. ↑ Calvert, Philip P. (1917). "Studies on Costa Rican Odonata. VIII. A new genus allied to Cora". Entomological News, and Proceedings of the Entomological Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 28: 259–263.