Macromia

Rambur, 1842

River Cruisers

Species Guides

7

Macromia is a of large in the Macromiidae, commonly known as river cruisers. are characterized by their habit of flying long distances along river corridors. The genus has a broad but disjunct distribution, with the majority of species occurring in tropical Australasia, one species in Europe (Macromia splendens), and a few species in North America. Nine species have been documented from the Western Ghats of India, including six endemics.

Macromia illinoiensis illinoiensis by (c) Nick Block, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Nick Block. Used under a CC-BY license.Macromia taeniolata by (c) pondhawk, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Macromia by (c) Oleg Kosterin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Oleg Kosterin. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Macromia: /məˈkroʊmiə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Associated with flowing water systems, particularly rivers and streams. Macromia manchurica has been collected from a stream environment in South Korea. The 'river cruisers' reflects their strong association with riverine .

Distribution

Tropical Australasian region (majority of ); one species in Europe (Macromia splendens); few species in North America; nine species in the Western Ghats of Peninsular India including six endemics; Macromia manchurica distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Russia.

Behavior

cruise long distances along river banks, a habit that gives the group its .

More Details

Taxonomic Research Gap

Despite representing nine in the Western Ghats of India (six ), published biological and ecological data on Macromia species from this region remains sparse according to a 2023 taxonomic review.

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Sources and further reading