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Macromiidae

Macromiidae is a family of dragonflies.[2][3] The family contains species known as cruisers or skimmers.[4] They are known to fly over bodies of water and roads. They are similar to Aeshnidae in size, but with green eyes that barely meet at the top of their head.[5]

Macromiidae
Macromia illinoiensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Superfamily: Libelluloidea
Family: Macromiidae
Needham, 1903[1]
Genera

Epophthalmia Burmeister, 1839
Macromia Rambur, 1842
Phyllomacromia Selys, 1878

The family Macromiidae is in the superfamily Libelluloidea. It contains three genera and 125 species worldwide.[2]

Females of this family lack an ovipositor at the end of their abdomen and lay their eggs by dipping their abdomen in water as they fly over. Ovipositing is usually done without a male present.

Members of the family are found on every continent, but there are very few records from South America and much of Europe and central Eurasia. They are most observed in East and Southeast Asia, North America, and sub-Saharan Africa.[6]

Early stages

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Naiads hatch after two weeks and are born with three gills for respiration.[7]

Naiads are found in rivers, streams, and lakes where there is water movement. They crawl in debris at the water's bottom and wait for prey. They mostly eat mosquito larvae, freshwater shrimp, fish and tadpoles.[8]

Genera

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The World Odonata List (2025) recognises the following genera in Macromiidae: [2]

Etymology

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The family name Macromiidae is derived from the type genus Macromia, with the standard zoological suffix -idae used for animal families. The name Macromia is derived from the Greek μακρός (makros, "long") and ὦμος (ōmos, "shoulder"), referring to the species’ long tarsal claws.[9]

References

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  1. ↑ Needham, James G. (1903). "A Genealogic Study of Dragon-fly Wing Venation". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 26 (1331): 703–764 [750]. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.26-1331.703 – via Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
  2. 1 2 3 Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama.
  3. ↑ 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 (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. ISSN 1175-5334.
  4. ↑ "Family MACROMIIDAE". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Chacon, Sheryl (2005). "Cruisers (Macromiidae)". Odes for Beginners. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved 2006-04-04.
  6. ↑ "Macromiidae". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  7. ↑ Lung, Mark; Sommer, Stefan (2001). "Macromiidae: The Cruisers". Dragonflies Index. Retrieved 2006-04-04.
  8. ↑ Young, Frank N.; Westfall, Minter J. (1955). "Review of A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America (Anisoptera). (Including the Greater Antilles and the Provinces of the Mexican Border.), Minter J. Westfall, Jr". Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 18 (2): 125–127. ISSN 0015-3850. JSTOR 24313584.
  9. ↑ Endersby, Ian; Fliedner, Heinrich (2015). The Naming of Australia's Dragonflies. Eltham, Victoria, Australia: Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925260625.
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