Anisozygoptera (Epiophlebiidae), Handlirsch, 1906

Bybee, Seth M., Kalkman, Vincent J., Erickson, Robert J., Frandsen, Paul B., Breinholt, Jesse W., Suvorov, Anton, Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B., Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo, Skevington, Jeffrey H., Abbott, John C., Herrera, Melissa Sanchez, Lemmon, Alan R., Lemmon, Emily Moriarty & Ware, Jessica L., 2021, Phylogeny and classification of Odonata using targeted genomics, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 160, pp. 107115-107115 : 11

4.1.8. Anisozygoptera (Epiophlebiidae) & Anisoptera

(BS = 100, PP = 1, QS = 0.25/0/0.99)

Our phylogenetic reconstruction recovers extant Anisozygoptera as sister to Anisoptera with high support (BS = 100, PP = 1, QS = 0.25/0/ 0.99). Support for a sister group relationship has also been demonstrated for over two decades by both morphology and molecular data ( Bybee et al., 2008; Carle et al., 2015; Dumont et al., 2010; Fleck et al., 2008; Lohmann, 1996; Letsch et al., 2016 ab; Thomas et al., 2013). Quartet sampling support provides a small amount of uncertainty in this relationship (see purple color of branch) due to the QD value (“0”), thus analysis is needed to provide exact reasons for the lack of support between these two groups. Anisozygoptera have been combined with Anisoptera in a group equivalent to a suborder named “Epiprocta” (H. Lohmann, 1996) in an effort to capture all anisozygopteran fossil taxa that may form a paraphyletic grade toward Anisoptera . Further, Dijkstra et al. (2013) outline morphological reasons (i.e., the genitalia) to maintain Anisozygoptera and Anisoptera as separate suborders. Thus, we suggest that for evolutionary reasons based on both morphological and molecular data, the use of Epiprocta should be limited until further analyses combining both fossil and extant taxa are produced.

Epiophlebia is the only genus in Epiophlebiidae . The genus comprises three species, Epiophlebia superstes , E. laidlawi and E. sinensis. Afourth species, E. diana , was described by Carle (2012) but was subsequently synonymized with E. sinensis ( Büsse, 2016; Dijkstra et al., 2013; Schorr and Paulson, 2019). Epiophlebia is distributed in Bhutan, Nepal, China, North Korea and Japan (e.g., Büsse, 2016; Büsse et al., 2012). Here, we included two specimens of the Japanese E. superstes , and one of the Himalayan E. laidlawi which are recovered as a monophyletic group with the highest possible support, confirming the work of Büsse et al. (2012).