Coenagrionidae is a family of damselflies in the superfamily Coenagrionoidea. Commonly known as the pond damselflies or narrow-winged damselflies, they are distributed worldwide and occur in a wide variety of freshwater habitats. With more than 1,300 described species in over 100 genera, Coenagrionidae is the largest family of damselflies.

The family includes many of the most familiar damselflies and, following recent molecular studies, also incorporates several groups that were formerly treated as separate families, including the giant damselflies (Pseudostigmatidae) and the New World Protoneuridae.

Characteristics

Usually have a black pattern Ground color may be green, blue, yellow, orange, or purple Narrow, stalked, usually colorless and clear wings Two antenodal cross veins Vein M3 arising nearer to nodus than arculus

Adults are seen around various habitats including ponds and wetlands. The females lay their eggs among living or dead submerged vegetation, and in some species, even crawl about underwater depositing their eggs. The nymphs are usually found in debris or among living or dead submerged plant material.

Taxonomic history Kirby recognised the family-group name as the subfamily Coenagrioninae in 1890, placing it within the then broadly defined family Agrionidae. The name was subsequently adopted at family rank as Coenagrionidae and became one of the largest families of damselflies.

Traditional classifications divided the family into numerous subfamilies and related families, including the Protoneuridae and Pseudostigmatidae. However, morphological studies found little support for many of these arrangements, and the relationships among coenagrionoid damselflies remained uncertain.

Molecular phylogenetic studies in the early 21st century indicated that Coenagrionidae consisted of two major evolutionary lineages. One lineage included familiar genera such as Coenagrion, Pseudagrion, Agriocnemis, Enallagma and Ischnura, while the second contained groups traditionally treated as separate families or subfamilies, including the Pseudostigmatidae, New World Protoneuridae and Teinobasinae.

A comprehensive molecular study by Dijkstra and colleagues (2014) reorganised the damselfly superfamily Coenagrionoidea into three families: Coenagrionidae, Platycnemididae and Isostictidae. Several groups that had previously been treated as separate families were incorporated into Coenagrionidae, resulting in the modern, broadly defined family.

Genera

The following genera are currently placed in Coenagrionidae:

Acanthagrion Selys, 1876 Acanthallagma Williamson & Williamson, 1924 Aceratobasis Kennedy, 1920 Aciagrion Selys, 1891 Aeolagrion Williamson, 1917 Africallagma Kennedy, 1920 Agriocnemis Selys, 1877 Amorphostigma Fraser, 1925 Amphiagrion Selys, 1876 Amphiallagma Kennedy, 1920 Amphicnemis Selys, 1863 Andinagrion Bulla, 1973 Angelagrion Lencioni, 2008 Anisagrion Selys, 1876 Anomisma McLachlan, 1877 Antiagrion Ris, 1904 Apanisagrion Kennedy, 1920 Archibasis Kirby, 1890 Argentagrion Fraser, 1948 Argia Rambur, 1842 Argiocnemis Selys, 1877 Austroagrion Tillyard, 1913 Austroallagma Lieftinck, 1953 Austrocnemis Tillyard, 1913 Austrocoenagrion Kennedy, 1920 Azuragrion May, 2002 Bromeliagrion De Marmels in De Marmels & Garrison, 2005 Caliagrion Tillyard, 1913 Calvertagrion St. Quentin, 1960 Ceriagrion Selys, 1876 Chromagrion Needham, 1903 Coenagriocnemis Fraser, 1949 Coenagrion Kirby, 1890 Coryphagrion Morton, 1924 Cyanallagma Kennedy, 1920 Dactylobasis Pérez-Gutiérrez, 2019 Denticulobasis Machado, 2009 Diceratobasis Kennedy, 1920 Dolonagrion Garrison & von Ellenrieder, 2008 Enacantha Donnelly & Alayo, 1966 Enallagma Charpentier, 1840 Erythiagrion Christie, Medina-Espinoza & Faasen, 2025 Erythromma Charpentier, 1840 Fluminagrion Anjos-Santos, Lozano & Costa, 2013 Franciscagrion Machado & Bedê, 2016 Franciscobasis Machado & Bedê, 2016 Hesperagrion Calvert, 1902 Hivaagrion Hämäläinen & Marinov, 2014 Homeoura Kennedy, 1920 Huosoma Guan, Dumont, Yu, Han & Vierstraete, 2013 Hylaeonympha Rácenis, 1968 Inpabasis Santos, 1961 Ischnura Charpentier, 1840 Junix Rácenis, 1968 Kuiagrion Mendoza-Penagos & Vilela, 2025 Leptagrion Selys, 1876 Leptobasis Selys, 1877 Leptocnemis Selys, 1886 Leucobasis Rácenis, 1959 Luzonobasis Villanueva, 2012 Mecistogaster Rambur, 1842 Megalagrion McLachlan, 1883 Megaloprepus Rambur, 1842 Melanesobasis Donnelly, 1984 Mesamphiagrion Kennedy, 1920 Mesoleptobasis Sjöstedt, 1918 Metaleptobasis Calvert, 1907 Microstigma Rambur, 1842 Minagrion Santos, 1965 Mortonagrion Fraser, 1920 Negragrion Muzón & Lozano, 2020 Nehalennia Selys, 1850 Neoerythromma Kennedy, 1920 Nesobasis Selys, 1891 Nikoulabasis Ferguson, Marinov, Saxton, Rashni & Bybee, 2023 Oreiallagma von Ellenrieder & Garrison, 2008 Oreocnemis Pinhey, 1971 Oxyagrion Selys, 1876 Oxyallagma Kennedy, 1920 Pacificagrion Fraser, 1926 Pandanobasis Villanueva, 2012 Papuagrion Ris, 1913 Paracercion Weekers & Dumont, 2004 Pericnemis Selys, 1863 Phoenicagrion von Ellenrieder, 2008 Pinheyagrion May, 2002 Plagulibasis Lieftinck, 1949 Platystigma Kennedy, 1920 Proischnura Kennedy, 1920 Proneura Selys, 1889 Protallagma Kennedy, 1920 Pseudagrion Selys, 1876 Pseudostigma Selys, 1860 Pyrrhosoma Charpentier, 1840 Sangabasis Villanueva, 2012 Schistolobos von Ellenrieder & Garrison, 2008 Stenagrion Laidlaw, 1915 Teinobasis Kirby, 1890 Telagrion Selys, 1876 Telebasis Selys, 1865 Tepuibasis De Marmels, 2007 Thaumatagrion Lieftinck, 1932 Tigriagrion Calvert, 1909 Tuberculobasis Machado, 2009 Tukanobasis Machado, 2009 Vanuatubasis Ober & Staniczek, 2009 Xanthagrion Selys, 1876 Xanthocnemis Tillyard, 1913 Xiphiagrion Selys, 1876 Zoniagrion Kennedy, 1917

Etymology The family name Coenagrionidae is derived from the type genus Coenagrion, with the standard zoological suffix -idae used for animal families.

The genus name Coenagrion combines the Greek κοινός (koinos, "common") with Agrion, the name of a related genus.

Gallery

See also List of damselflies of the world (Coenagrionidae)

References