Libelluloidea is a superfamily of dragonflies. It contains 13 families:
- Aeschnosomatidae <small>Goodman, Abbott, Bybee, Ehlert, Frandsen, Guralnick, Kalkman, Newton, Pinto & Ware, 2025</small>
- Austrocorduliidae <small>Bechly, 1996</small>
- Corduliidae <small>Selys, 1850</small>
- Gomphomacromiidae <small>Tillyard & Fraser, 1940</small>
- Idionychidae <small>Tillyard & Fraser, 1940</small>
- Idomacromiidae <small>Tillyard & Fraser, 1940</small>
- Lauromacromiidae <small>Goodman, Abbott, Bybee, Ehlert, Frandsen, Guralnick, Kalkman, Newton, Pinto & Ware, 2025</small>
- Libellulidae <small>Leach, 1815</small>
- Macromidiidae <small>Goodman, Abbott, Bybee, Ehlert, Frandsen, Guralnick, Kalkman, Newton, Pinto & Ware, 2025</small>
- Macromiidae <small>Needham, 1903</small>
- Neophyidae <small>Tillyard & Fraser, 1940</small>
- Pseudocorduliidae <small>Lohmann, 1996</small>
- Synthemistidae <small>Tillyard, 1911</small>
Some taxonomic history
In 2025 a significant revision of this superfamily using morphological and molecular techniques added three families and restored six families. Since 2013 the following dragonfly families have been considered invalid or potentially disputed:
Fossils
The following extinct fossil taxa are also included in Libelluloidea:
- â Austrolibellula <small>PetruleviÃÂius</small> <small>& Nel, 2003</small>
- â Araripelibellulidae <small>Bechly, 1996</small>
- â Araripephlebiidae <small>Bechly, 1998</small>
- â Bolcacorduliidae <small>Gentilini, 2002</small>
- â Eocorduliidae <small>Bechly, 1996</small>
- â Palaeomacromiidae <small>PetruleviÃÂius, Nel & Muzón, 1999</small> (=Bolcathemidae <small>Gentilini, 2002</small>)
- â Valdicorduliidae <small>Bechly, 1996</small>
- â Urolibellulidae <small>Zeiri, Nel, & Garrouste, 2015</small>
This superfamily is one of two extant groups in the large, ancient clade Cavilabiata, in addition to Cordulegastroidea. The oldest known member is Araripelibellula brittanica from the Berriasian of England.
References