Cordulegasteridae

views updated

Cordulegasteridae (dragonflies; order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera) Small family of large, black and yellow dragonflies, in which the anal loop in the wings is compact but well developed, and the posterior corners of the hind wings are sharply angled in the male. Females have spade-like ovipositors which they use to deposit eggs in stream beds. The larvae are elongate and hairy, and lurk in the silt of streams. There are 75 described extant species, found in the Palaearctic, southeast Asia, and N. America.

More From encyclopedia.com