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Aeshnidae
	Tasmanian darner (Austroaeschna tasmanica)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Superfamily:	Aeshnoidea
Family:	Aeshnidae; Leach, 1815
Genera
	See text.

Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies, found nearly worldwide, with more than 50 genera and over 450 species.^[2]^[3]

The family includes some of the largest dragonflies.

Description

Common worldwide or nearly worldwide genera are Aeshna and Anax. Anax includes some of the largest dragonflies, including the North American A. walsinghami, Hawaiian A. strenuus, European A. imperator and A. immaculifrons, and African A. tristis, but these are all exceeded by another member of the family, the Asian Tetracanthagyna plagiata, which by wingspan and weight is the world's largest dragonfly.

There are 41 North American species in 11 genera in this family. Most European species belong to Aeshna. Their American name "darner" stems from the female abdomens looking like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor.

The dragonflies mate in flight. The eggs are deposited in water or close by. The larvae (nymphs or naiads) are generally slender compared to those of other families, with a long and flat extensible lower lip (labium). The larvae are aquatic predators, feeding on other insects and even small fish.

The adults spend large amounts of time in the air and seem to fly tirelessly with their four large and powerful wings. They can fly forwards or backwards or hover like a helicopter. The wings are always extended horizontally.

Their abdomens are long and thin. Most are colored blue and or green, with black and occasionally yellow. Their large, hemispherical, compound eyes touch in the midline and nearly cover their heads. They have an extremely good sight, and are voracious insect predators, using their sharp, biting mouthparts. They are therefore very beneficial to mankind.

All are extremely hard to catch because of their flying abilities and keen sight.

Taxonomy and genera

The name Aeshnidae was first proposed as a family by Elford Leach in 1815.^[1]

The spelling of Aeshnidae may have resulted from a printer's error in spelling the Greek Aechma, "a spear".^[4] The spelling Aeschnidae has been intermittently used over a period of time, but is now abandoned for the original name Aeshnidae. However, derived genus names (such as Rhionaeschna) retain the 'sch' spelling, as this is how they were first cited.

Acanthaeschna Selys, 1883
Adversaeschna Watson, 1992
Aeschnophlebia Selys, 1883
Aeshna Fabricius, 1775
Afroaeschna Peters & Theischinger, 2011
Agyrtacantha Lieftinck, 1937
Allopetalia Selys, 1873
Amphiaeschna Selys, 1871
Anaciaeschna Selys, 1878
Anax Leach, 1815
Andaeschna De Marmels, 1994
Antipodophlebia Fraser, 1960
†Antiquiala Archibald & Cannings, 2019
Austroaeschna Selys, 1883
Austrogynacantha Tillyard, 1908
Austrophlebia Tillyard, 1916
Basiaeschna Selys, 1883
Boyeria McLachlan, 1895
Brachytron Evans, 1845
Caliaeschna Selys, 1883
Castoraeschna Calvert, 1952
Cephalaeschna Selys, 1883
Coryphaeschna Williamson, 1903
Dendroaeschna Tillyard, 1916
Dromaeschna Förster, 1908
†Eoshna Archibald & Cannings, 2019
Epiaeschna Hagen in Selys, 1883
Gomphaeschna Selys, 1871
Gynacantha Rambur, 1842
Gynacanthaeschna Fraser, 1921
Heliaeschna Selys, 1882
†Idemlinea Archibald & Cannings, 2019
Indaeschna Fraser, 1926
Limnetron Förster, 1907
Linaeschna Martin, 1908
Nasiaeschna Selys in Förster, 1907
Neuraeschna Hagen, 1867
Notoaeschna Tillyard, 1916
Oligoaeschna Selys, 1889
Oplonaeschna Selys, 1883
Oreaeschna Lieftinck, 1937
Periaeschna Martin, 1908
Petaliaeschna Fraser, 1927
Pinheyschna Peters & Theischinger, 2011
Planaeschna McLachlan, 1896
Plattycantha Förster, 1908
Polycanthagyna Fraser, 1933
Racenaeschna Calvert, 1958
Remartinia Navás, 1911
Rhionaeschna Förster, 1909
Sarasaeschna Karube & Yeh, 2001
Spinaeschna Theischinger, 1982
Staurophlebia Brauer, 1865
Telephlebia Selys, 1883
Tetracanthagyna Selys, 1883
Triacanthagyna Selys, 1883
†Ypshna Archibald & Cannings, 2019
Zosteraeschna Peter & Theischinger, 2011

References

^ ^a ^b Leach, W.E. (1815). "Entomology". In Brewster, D. (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Vol. 9 (reprint 1830 ed.). Edinburgh: William Blackburn. pp. 57–172 [136]. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.30911.
^ 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; Trueman, John W.H.; Van Tol, Jan; von Ellenrieder, Natalia; Ware, Jessica (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. hdl:10072/61365. ISSN 1175-5334.
^ Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. (2024). "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral, University of Alabama.
^ "Dragonflies of the Family Aeshnidae in British Columbia" (PDF). Retrieved 25 August 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}