Euepiproctophora

Epiophlebia superstes, photographed by chochoensis.

Belongs within: Euodonata.
Contains: Stenophlebioptera, Anisoptera.

The odonate clade Euepiproctophora includes the living dragonflies and the Asian relict genus Epiophlebia. The name of the clade is derived from the development of the epiprocts at the end of the male's abdomen to form part of the claspers used in mating. Epiophlebia comprises two species of odonate found in Japan (E. superstes) and the Himalayas (E. laidlawi); though similar to a typical dragonfly in overall appearance, they have petiolate wings more similar to those of the damselflies in the Zygoptera (Grimaldi & Engel 2005).

See also: A halfway house, halfway down Honshu island.

Characters (from Fleck et al. 2003; Grimaldi & Engel 2005): Frons bulbous; thoracic interpleural suture dorsally present; epiprocts enlarged in male to form appendage of claspers; naiad with rectal chamber lined with respiratory pads; postdiscoidal area on wing broader than area between MA and RP3/4 along posterior wing margin.

<==Euepiproctophora
    |--Epiophlebia [Epiophlebiidae, Epiophlebioidea, Epiophlebioptera] FB03
    |    |--E. laidlawi GE05
    |    `--E. superstes (Selys 1889) FB03
    `--+--Erichschmidtia Pritykina 1968 [Erichschmidtiidae] FB03
       `--Anisopteromorpha [Heterophlebioidea] FB03
            |--Trigonoptera FB03
            |    |  i. s.: Gondvanogomphus Schlüter & Hartung 1982 [Gondvanogomphidae] FB03
            |    |--Stenophlebioptera FB03
            |    `--Anisoptera FB03
            `--Heterophlebioptera FB03
                 |--Myopophlebiidae FB03
                 |    |--Paraplagiophlebia loneuxi FB03
                 |    `--Paraheterophlebia marci Nel & Henrotay 1993 FB03
                 `--+--Liassophlebia [Liassophlebiidae] FB03
                    |    `--L. magnifica Tillyard 1925 FB03
                    `--+--Juraheterophlebia Fleck, Bechly et al. 2003 [Juraheterophlebiidae] FB03
                       |    `--*J. kazakhstanensis Fleck, Bechly et al. 2003 FB03
                       `--Heterophlebia [Heterophlebiidae] FB03
                            `--H. buckmani (Brodie 1849) FB03

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[FB03] Fleck, G., G. Bechly, X. Martínez-Delclòs, E. Jarzembowski, R. Coram & A. Nel. 2003. Phylogeny and classification of the Stenophlebioptera (Odonata: Epiproctophora). Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France 39 (1): 55-93.

[GE05] Grimaldi, D., & M. S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press: New York.