POLYTHORIDAE Munz, 1919

Polythorids are mostly large damselflies with stocky thorax and wide wings that are held together when perched. Many species have beautiful wing patterns of dark and white or yellow to yellow-orange. This Neotropical family requires small, mostly shaded, moderately to fast-flowing streams with riparian woody vegetation. Five genera and 22 described species have been recorded in Ecuador; at least two new species await description. The nymphs of very few species have been discovered. Consult Garrison et al. (2010) for keys to genera and references to nymphal descriptions.