Six genera with about 25 species occur in Ecuador. Megapodagrionids are medium to large, delicate damselflies with elongate abdomens and heads that are notably narrow. The wings are long-stalked with the node closer to the base than in other damselflies. The females have shorter, stouter abdomens than the males and the color patterns are muted. Color patterns on the body and face are useful for identifying the species of Heteragrion. The male abdominal appendages are specifically distinct in most species. Most flatwings are associated with small to medium-sized forest streams, although a few species, such as H. erythrogastrum, may also occur rarely at small ponds and pools. They typically perch with the wings partly to fully spread, but usually the fore and hind wings are held at Recent DNA and morphological analysis suggests that Megapodagrionidae should be divided into several familiesdifferent angles.
Recent DNA and morphological analysis (Dijkstra et al., 2013) suggest that Megapodagrionidae should be divided into several families, with Heteragrion, Oxystigma (and possibly Heteropodagrion) in Heteragrionidae, Archaeopodagrion and Philogenia in Philogeniidae, and Teinopodagrion in Megapodagrionidae.
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