Abstract
The convergent evolution of analogous features is an evolutionary process occurring independently across the tree of life. Fromthe evolution of echolocation, prehensile tail, viviparity, or winged flight, environmental factors often drive this astonishingphenomenon. However, convergent evolution is not always conspicuous or easily identified. Giant damselflies count among thelargest flying insects on Earth, and have astonishing ecologies including orb-web spider plucking and oviposition in phytotelmata.One species occurs in theAfrotropics and 18 species are found in the Neotropics. Convergent evolution was historically hypothesizedbased on the ecological and morphological affinities of these two geographically distant lineages but was not supported byearlier phylogenetic inferences supporting their monophyly. Using a molecular supermatrix approach and a large selection ofoutgroups, we revisit and reject the monophyly of Afrotropical and Neotropical giant damselflies that is otherwise supported bya morphological phylogeny. Molecular divergence time estimation suggests an origin of Afrotropical giant damselflies in the latePaleogene, and of Neotropical ones at the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary, thereby rejecting a long-standing West Gondwanavicariance hypothesis. The strong ecological and morphological resemblances between these two independent lineages representsan astonishing case of Amphi-Atlantic tropical convergent evolution