Elattoneura

Elattoneura, the African threadtails, is a genus of damselflies in the family Platycnemididae. They were formerly placed in genus Prodasineura, but form a distinct clade. The adults are smallish and delicately built damselflies, and their males have very wide heads (cf. Platycnemis and Copera). The adults are typically found in sheltered locations beside or over running water, though a few prefer calmer water with much detritus. There appears to be two groups with differing habitat preferences. Those with pruinose (i.e. frosty grey or white) faces and mostly blue eyes occupy watercourses in open terrain, while those with black or brightly coloured faces are found along forested streams.

Species

There are over 30 species which include:

Elattoneura acuta

Elattoneura analis

Elattoneura atkinsoni

Elattoneura aurantiaca

Elattoneura aurifex – goldsmith threadtail

Elattoneura balli

Elattoneura caesia – jungle threadtail

Elattoneura campioni

Elattoneura cellularis

Elattoneura centrafricana

Elattoneura centralis

Elattoneura coomansi

Elattoneura dorsalis

Elattoneura erythromma

Elattoneura frenulata – sooty threadtail

Elattoneura girardi

Elattoneura glauca – common threadtail, grey threadtail

Elattoneura josemorai

Elattoneura khalidi

Elattoneura lapidaria – rock threadtail

Elattoneura leucostigma – smoky-winged threadtail

Elattoneura lliba

Elattoneura longispina

Elattoneura mauros

Elattoneura morini

Elattoneura nigerrima

Elattoneura nigra – black threadtail

Elattoneura nihari

Elattoneura oculata – two-spotted threadtail

Elattoneura pasquinii

Elattoneura pluotae

Elattoneura pruinosa

Elattoneura souteri

Elattoneura tarbotonorum – stout threadtail

Elattoneura tenax

Elattoneura tetrica

Elattoneura vrijdaghi

References

Platycnemididae

Zygoptera genera

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot