Macromiidae

The insect family Macromiidae contains the dragonfly species known as cruisers or skimmers. They tend to fly over bodies of water (and roads) straight down the middle. They are similar to Aeshnidae in size, but the eyes are green and just barely meet at the top of the head.

Macromiidae
Macromia illinoiensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Macromiidae
Needham, 1903[1]
Genera

Didymops Rambur, 1842
Epophthalmia Burmeister, 1839
Macromia Rambur, 1842
Phyllomacromia Selys, 1878

Macromiidae, or Macromiinae, has been traditionally considered as a subfamily of Corduliidae (Kirby, 1890). It contains four genera and 125 species worldwide.

Females of this family lack an ovipositor at the end of the abdomen and lay their eggs by dipping the abdomen in the water as they fly over. Ovipositing is usually done without a male.

Naiads are found in rivers, streams, and lakes where there is water movement. They crawl in debris at the water's bottom and wait for prey.

References
  1. Dijkstra, K.D.B.; et al. (2013). "The classification and diversity of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013)". Zootaxa. 3703 (1): 36–45. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.9. hdl:10072/61365.
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