Cavilabiata

Alpine redspot dragonfly Austropetalia tonyana, copyright Gunther Theischinger.

Belongs within: Eteoanisoptera.
Contains: Brachystigmata.

The Cavilabiata are a clade of dragonflies uniting the Cordulegastridae, Libellulidae and related families. Other than the basal Cordulegastridae, most members of this clade belong to the subclade Cristotibiata, united by a rather stout pterostigma that is not parallel-sided, a shortened hindwing CuA, and an enlarged anal loop (Bechly & Ueda 2002). Species of the families Neopetaliidae, Archipetalia and Austropetalia have the front part of each pair of wings marked with a series of rounded, reddish brown spots.

Synapomorphies (from Bechly & Ueda 2002): Discoidal triangles at least somewhat longitudinal elongate in both wings, especially in the hind wing; distal part of antesubnodal area free of crossveins (“cordulegastrid gap”); “gaff” (basal CuA before its branching) of hindwing at least slightly prolonged; RP3/4 and MA slightly undulating in both pairs of wings.

<==Cavilabiata
    |--Cordulegaster I92 [Cordulegastrida BU02, Cordulegastridae, Cordulegastroidea]
    |    `--C. boltoni I92
    `--Cristotibiata BU02
         |--Brachystigmata BU02
         `--+--Phyllopetalia WO91 [Neopetaliidae BU02]
            |--Archipetalia WO91 [Archipetaliidae TH06]
            |    `--A. auriculata Tillyard 1917 TH06
            `--Austropetalia WO91 [Austropetaliidae TH06]
                 |--A. patricia (Tillyard 1910) TH06
                 `--A. tonyana Theischinger 1995 TH06

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BU02] Bechly, G., & K. Ueda. 2002. The first fossil record and first New World record for the dragonfly clade Chlorogomphida (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera: Araripechlorogomphidae n. fam.) from the Crato Limestone (Lower Cretaceous, Brazil). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie) 328: 1–11.

[I92] Imes, R. 1992. The Practical Entomologist. Aurum Press: London.

[TH06] Theischinger, G., & J. Hawking. 2006. The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood (Victoria).

[WO91] Watson, J. A. L., & A. F. O’Farrell. 1991. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 1 pp. 294–310. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

Last updated: 29 May 2022.