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A new synlestid zygopteran, Madres delpueblo n. gen. n. sp., is described from the middle Eocene of Río Pichileufú, Patagonia, Argentina. The new genus is characterised by wing characters such as the discoidal cell narrow and long; Ax2 aligned with the arculus; MP distinctly curved after its origin; CuP+AA fused to the hind margin half of the length of the discoidal cell; CuP closer to Ax2 than to Ax1. Needle damselflies or Malachites are represented in other two Patagonian Eocene localities, by nymphs and adults. The new genus enlarges the fossil record of Lestomorpha in Argentina to four extinct genera: Promegalestes, Austroperilestes, Inacayalestes and Madres n. gen. versus two Recent ones: Lestes and Archilestes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover image: A sexually dimorphic and endemic species of damselfly (Chlorolestes tesselatus) of the family Synlestidae, which occurs in the Eastern Cape Region of South Africa. The male has black‐and‐white wing patches, whereas the female has completely transparent wings. This difference presumably reflects sexual selection on males, but we know little about how fast sexual dimorphism evolves and its ecological consequences in natural populations, a topic discussed in Svensson's "Eco‐evolutionary dynamics of sexual selection and sexual conflict", in this issue and part of the cross‐journal special feature: Eco‐Evolutionary Dynamics Across Scales. Photo credit: Erik Svensson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Synlestidae (Odonata: Zygoptera) of southern Africa comprise some highly localized species. All but one species are endemic to South Africa, and many to the Cape Floristic Region. Here we present the first phylogenetic reconstruction of the southern African Synlestidae using nuclear and mitochondrial molecular data. The genera Ecchlorolestes and Chlorolestes are monophyletic, and we propose that the Neotropical family Perilestidae consisting of two genera, Perilestes and Perissolestes, be sunk within Synlestidae. We discuss the intra-familial relationships for the southern African Synlestidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]