Molecular Phylogeny of the Family Cordulegastridae (Odonata) Worldwide

In this study, we present the first attempt at a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the entire family of Cordulegastridae involving 60% of its known species. Our analysis is in favor of reclassification of the members of the family into four genera: (i) the monophyletic genus <i>Anotogaster</i> Selys, 1854, with the number of known species reduced by three synonymizations; (ii) the genus <i>Cordulegaster</i> Leach in Brewster, 1815 including all members of the <i>boltonii</i> group and, as a preliminary solution, the American species <i>C. virginiae</i> Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2018 and, very tentatively, <i>C. diadema</i> Selys, 1868. The <i>bidentata</i> group forms a genus of its own, for which we restored the name <i>Thecagaster</i> Selys 1854, stat. rev. <i>Cordulegaster pekinensis</i> McLachlan in Selys, 1886, currently considered as <i>Neallogaster pekinensis,</i> was placed by us in <i>Thecagaster</i> as well. The genus <i>Neallogaster</i> Cowley, 1934 needs further investigation involving all remaining species listed in it. The genus <i>Zoraena</i> Kirby, 1890, stat. rev., was recovered to accommodate the remaining American species of <i>Cordulegaster</i>. We synonymized three species of <i>Anotogaster</i>: <i>Anotogaster gregoryi</i> Fraser, 1923 = <i>Anotogaster xanthoptera</i> Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; <i>Anotogaster</i><i>kuchenbeiseri</i> (Förster, 1899) = <i>Anotogaster antehumeralis</i> Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; <i>Anotogaster kuchenbeiseri</i> (Förster, 1899) = <i>Anotogaster cornutifrons</i> Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov., based on examination of the existing type specimens. The type of specimens of <i>A. klossi</i> Fraser, 1919 = <i>A. flaveola</i> Lohmann 1993 syn. confirm., were also examined, and their synonymy was confirmed. The isolated populations of <i>A. sieboldii</i> (Selys, 1854) from the archipelagos of Okinawa and Amami Oshima in Japan, respectively, should be regarded as separate species, which will be described elsewhere. Furthermore, we suggest the synonymization of <i>Cordulegaster parvistigma</i> Selys 1873 syn. nov. with <i>Thecagaster brevistigma</i> (Selys 1854) comb. restaur.