Lestoideidae

Lestoideidae is a monotypic family of damselflies. The only genus in the family is Lestoidea, it comprises four species. The family is endemic to the streams in rainforests of north east Queensland. Lestoideidae is an accepted family name but it is important to distinguish genus Lestoidea from superfamily Lestoidea. They have the same spelling, but the superfamily is based on the genus Lestes. The taxonomic history of Lestoidea is complex because its member species show features that might suggest a position in either Lestoidea (superfamily), or perhaps with family Diphlebiidae.

Species

The genus Lestoidea has four species. All the species have a common name and they are commonly known as bluestreaks. The species are:

• Lestoidea barbarae (large bluestreak)
• Lestoidea brevicauda (short-tipped bluestreak)
• Lestoidea conjuncta (common bluestreak)
• Lestoidea lewisiana (Mount Lewis bluestreak)

Characteristics

The four species of lestoideidid damselflies are medium-sized, dark brown to black damselflies with a yellow-orange, or in one case an orange-red, area on the side of the thorax and there limited yellow-orange markings elsewhere. The anterior sector of the arculus forks closer to the arculus than the subnodus and the pterostigma is rather long like similar species in Lestidae, but the discoidal cell is blunt. The vein is short, only one or two cells long. The anal vein is vestigial, similar to species in the families Isostictidae and Protoneuridae. The larvae are short and their gills are saccoid or lamellar caudal gills tufted tips as in Megapodagrionidae and Diphlebiidae.

References

• Australian National Insect Collection Database
• Lestoideidae - What is a(n) Lestoideidae Encyclopedia.com

Wikispecies has information related to: Lestoideidae