''Micromidia'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
dragonflies
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
in the superfamily
Libelluloidea
Libelluloidea is a superfamily of dragonflies.
A 2013 phylogenetic analysis suggests that this superfamily contains four families:
*Corduliidae Selys, 1850
*Libellulidae Leach, 1815
* Macromiidae Needham, 1903
*Synthemistidae Tillyard, 1911
R ...
.
They are small to medium-sized dragonflies, coloured black or metallic green with pale markings, and
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to eastern
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
Species
The genus ''Micromidia'' includes the following species:
*''
Micromidia atrifrons'' – forest mosquitohawk
*''
Micromidia convergens'' – early mosquitohawk
*''
Micromidia rodericki'' – Thursday Island mosquitohawk
Taxonomy
Recent taxonomic research could not assign the genus ''Micromidia'' to any family and it was placed ''
incertae sedis
or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
'' within the superfamily
Libelluloidea
Libelluloidea is a superfamily of dragonflies.
A 2013 phylogenetic analysis suggests that this superfamily contains four families:
*Corduliidae Selys, 1850
*Libellulidae Leach, 1815
* Macromiidae Needham, 1903
*Synthemistidae Tillyard, 1911
R ...
.
Prior to this, ''Micromidia'' had been considered to be part of one of several families:
Austrocorduliidae,
Synthemistidae
The Synthemistidae are the family of dragonflies commonly known as tigertails, or sometimes called southern emeralds. This family is part of the superfamily Libelluloidea.
Synthemistidae is an ancient dragonfly family, with some species occu ...
or
Corduliidae
Corduliidae, also knowns as the emeralds, emerald dragonflies, or green-eyed skimmers, is a family of dragonflies. These dragonflies are usually black or dark brown with areas of metallic green or yellow, and most of them have large, emerald-green ...
.
See also
*
List of Odonata species of Australia
This is a list of species of damselflies and dragonflies recorded in Australia.
Common names of species are linked, beside their scientific names.
The list is split into two groups: damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) and other dragonflies (infra ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1998296
Libelluloidea
Anisoptera genera
Odonata of Australia
Endemic fauna of Australia
Taxa named by Frederic Charles Fraser
Insects described in 1959
Dragonflies