The Affinities of the Australian Gomphidae (Odonata)

Abstract

Two subfamilies of Gomphidae occur in Australia, the Ictinogomphinae and Gomphinae. All Australian ictinogomphines belong in the genus Ictinogomphus Cowley, with other species in Africa and Asia; the gomphines include two groups of smaller gomphids, the Hemigomphus group (Hemigomphus Selys and two undescribed genera) and the Austrogomphus group (Antipodogomphus Fraser, Austroepigomphus Fraser and Austrogomphus Selys). Structures in the male terminalia indicate that the Hemigomphus group is allied to the South and Central American genera Diaphlebia Selys, Neogomphus Selys, Perigomphus Belle and Zonophora Selys, and that the Austrogomphus group is allied to the Agriogomphus complex of genera, also from southern and central America, and, perhaps, to Lestinogomphus Martin from Africa.