Overview

Calopterygidae are an old-world family of damselflies having broad wings with a very dense cross-venation and lacking a pterostigma. Female wings tend to be uniformly infused with brown or yellow but male wings are either completely or partially marked with strong metallic tints, usually black or other deep shades. The family extends through Europe and Asia as far as New Guinea.

There is a single, nineteenth century record of the Asia/New Guinea species Neurobasis australis from Cape York. The collection locality cannot be confirmed. There are no later records of this family occurring in Australia but its future presence cannot be ruled out, especially in connection with climate change.