Calopteryx (damselfly)

Genus of damselflies From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calopteryx is a genus of large damselflies belonging to the family Calopterygidae. The colourful males often have coloured wings whereas the more muted females usually have clear wings although some develop male (androchrome) wing characteristics. In both sexes, there is no pterostigma.[2]

Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Odonata
Quick facts Scientific classification, Synonyms ...
Calopteryx
Calopteryx virgo
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Calopterygidae
Tribe: Calopterygini
Genus: Calopteryx
Leach, 1815[1]
Synonyms
  • Agrion Fabricius, 1775
  • Agrionus Rafinesque, 1815 Emend.
  • Agrium Agassiz, 1846 Emend.
  • Sylphus Hagen, 1853
  • Anaciagrion Kennedy, 1920
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Nomenclature

The genus was first introduced by Leach in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia (1815) under the spelling Calepteryx, generally regarded as a printer's error for Calopteryx.[1]

It was only in 1890, many years after Leach introduced the genus, that it was widely recognised that Calopteryx was potentially a junior synonym of the Fabrician genus Agrion, established 40 years earlier. The controversy surrounding which genus name has nomenclatural priority has never been formally resolved; the ICZN rules would give priority to Fabricius' name, but most odonatists continue to use Calopteryx.[3]

Species

The genus contains the following species:[4][5]

Etymology

The genus name Calopteryx, established by Leach in 1815, is derived from the Greek καλός (kalos, "beautiful") and πτέρυξ (pteryx, "wing"), likely referring to the often brightly coloured and metallic wings characteristic of these damselflies.[12]

References

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