A re-description of the fossil damselfly Eolestes syntheticus Cockerell, 1940 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Eolestidae n. fam.) with description of new taxa from the Eocene of North America.

The enigmatic species Eolestes syntheticus Cockerell, 1940, from the Early Eocene of North America, previously attributed to the lestoid family Synlestidae, is re-examined in light of the discovery of new material from the Middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation in northwestern Montana. E. syntheticus and a new species, Eolestes ramosus sp. n., are attributed to a new family Eolestidae fam. n.. In addition, a new genus and species very closely related to Lestidae but assigned to family unknown, Lutetialestes uniformis sp. n., is described from the Kishenehn Formation.

[1]  K. Dijkstra,et al.  Redefining the damselfly families: a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Zygoptera (Odonata) , 2014 .

[2]  Seth M. Bybee,et al.  The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) , 2013 .

[3]  S. H. Scudder The Tertiary Insects of North America , 2011 .

[4]  P. Mayhew,et al.  Fossil gaps inferred from phylogenies alter the apparent nature of diversification in dragonflies and their relatives , 2011, BMC Evolutionary Biology.

[5]  Helen Ashton Damselfly Genera of the New World: An Illustrated and Annotated Key to the Zygoptera , 2011 .

[6]  R. Garrison,et al.  Damselfly Genera of the New World: An Illustrated and Annotated Key to the Zygoptera , 2010 .

[7]  J. Vanfleteren,et al.  A molecular phylogeny of the Odonata (Insecta) , 2010 .

[8]  Beitrage zur Naturkunde New fossil dragonflies from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of north-east Brazil ( Insecta : Odonata ) , 2010 .

[9]  A. Nel,et al.  The fi rst damselfl y from the Early Cretaceous Lebanese amber(Odonata, Zygoptera, Lestomorpha) , 2010 .

[10]  P. Tafforeau,et al.  Phase contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography and the oldest damselflies in amber (Odonata: Zygoptera: Hemiphlebiidae) , 2009 .

[11]  C. Labandeira,et al.  Odonatan Endophytic Oviposition from the Eocene of Patagonia: The Ichnogenus Paleoovoidus and Implications for Behavioral Stasis , 2009, Journal of Paleontology.

[12]  F. Fraser A NOTE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EOLESTES SYNTHETICA COCKERELL IN THE PHYLOGENY OF THE ODONATA , 2009 .

[13]  Seth M. Bybee,et al.  Molecules, morphology and fossils: a comprehensive approach to odonate phylogeny and the evolution of the odonate wing , 2008, Cladistics : the international journal of the Willi Hennig Society.

[14]  M. May,et al.  Evolution of Odonata, with Special Reference to Coenagrionoidea (Zygoptera) , 2008, Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny.

[15]  G. Bechly Damselfly and dragonfly nymphs in Eocene Baltic amber ( Insecta : Odonata ) , with aspects of their palaeobiology , 2008 .

[16]  J. Trueman A brief history of the classification and nomenclature of Odonata , 2007 .

[17]  T. Wappler,et al.  Priscalestidae, a new damselfly family (Odonata: Lestinoidea) from the Middle Eocene Eckfeld maar of Germany , 2007 .

[18]  A. Nel,et al.  AUSTROPERILESTIDAE, A NEW FAMILY OF DAMSELFLIES FROM EARLY EOCENE OF ARGENTINA (INSECTA: ODONATA). PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN ODONATA , 2005 .

[19]  D. Vasilenko New Damselflies (Odonata: Synlestidae, Hemiphlebiidae) from the Mesozoic Transbaikalian Locality of Chernovskie Kopi , 2005 .

[20]  A. Nel,et al.  RECOGNITION OF THE FIRST FOSSIL LESTOID DAMSELFLY IN SOUTH AMERICA (INSECTA: ZYGOPTERA): BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND PHYLOGENETIC REMARKS , 2004, Journal of Paleontology.

[21]  A. Nel,et al.  Frenguelliidae, a new family of dragonflies from the earliest Eocene of Argentina (Insecta: Odonata): phylogenetic relationships within Odonata , 2003 .

[22]  A. Carroll,et al.  40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the Eocene Green River Formation, Wyoming , 2003 .

[23]  A. Rehn Phylogenetic analysis of higher‐level relationships of Odonata , 2003 .

[24]  A. Nel,et al.  Fossil damselflies and dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) from the late Upper Eocene of southern England , 1999 .

[25]  François Escuillié,et al.  The Mesozoic non-calopterygoid Zygoptera: description of new genera and species from the Lower Cretaceous of England and Brazil and their phylogenetic significance (Odonata, Zygoptera, Coenagrionoidea, Hemiphlebioidea, Lestoidea) , 1998 .

[26]  A. Nel,et al.  New Tertiary Fossil Odonata from France (Sieblosiidae, Lestidae, Coenagrionidae, Megapodagrionidae, Libellulidae) , 1997 .

[27]  K. Constenius Late Paleogene extensional collapse of the Cordilleran foreland fold and thrust belt , 1996 .

[28]  G. Bechly Morphologische Untersuchungen am Flugelgeader der rezenten Libellen und deren Stammgruppenvertreter (Insecta ; Pterygota ; Odonata) unter besonderer Berucksichtigung der phylogenetischen Systematik und des Grundplanes der Odonata , 1996 .

[29]  Andre E. Nel,et al.  Insectos del Mioceno inferior de Ribesalbes (Castellón, España). Paleoptera y Neoptera poli- y paraneoptera , 1996 .

[30]  J. Kukalová-Peck,et al.  A new interpretation of dragonfly wing venation based upon Early Upper Carboniferous fossils from Argentina (Insecta: Odonatoidea) and basic character states in pterygote wings , 1984 .

[31]  F. Fraser Outline of a new classification for the legion Lestes Selys (Order Odonata) , 1951 .

[32]  F. Fraser,et al.  A reclassification of the order Odonata based on some new interpretations of the venation of the dragonfly wing , 1939 .

[33]  C. Kennedy New genera of Megapodagrioninaec with notes on the subfamily , 1925 .

[34]  T. Cockerell,et al.  Dragon-flies from the English Oligocene , 1916 .

[35]  T. Cockerell British fossil insects , 1915 .