NOMEN: Anisoptera Stephens 1829: 305 [J.F. Stephens. A systematic catalogue of British insects: being an attempt to arrange all the hitherto discovered indigenous insects in accordance with their natural affinities. – London: Baldwin and Cradock. 1829: 388 p.]

ORIGINAL LISTED MEMBERSHIP (Stephens 1829): Ephemeridae Ephemera 

JUNIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:

= Plectoptera Packard 1886 (non Plecoptera Burmeister 1839)

= Ephemeroptera Hyatt & Arms 1890

= Archipterygota Borner 1909
= Prometabola Heymons 1909

= Plectopteradelphia Crampton 1916

NON-MONOSEMANTIC CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS (including †Protephemeroidea):
= Panephemeroptera Crampton 1928
= Ephemeropteria Crampton 1938
= Ephemeropteroidea Rohdendorf 1968

NON-MONOSEMANTIC CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYM (without †Protephemeroidea, including †Permoplectoptera):
= Euephemeroptera Kluge 2000

NON-MONOSEMANTIC CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYM (without †Permoplectoptera):
= Euplectoptera Tillyard 1932  

TYPIFIED NAME IN BASIC FORMAT: Ephemera/fg  
TYPIFIED NAMES IN USE: Ephemera (sensu Linnaeus 1858), Ephemeraedes, Ephemeralia, Ephemerata, Ephemerida, Ephemeridae, Ephemeridea, Ephemerina, Ephemerinae, Ephemeroidea, Ephemeriformes

MODERN STATUS: invalid, forgotten senior synonym of Ephemeroptera Hyatt & Arms 1891.

NOMEN: Anisoptera Selys 1854

ORIGINAL SPELLING (Selys 1854): 

SUBSEQUENT SPELLING: 

ORIGINAL LISTED MEMBERSHIP (Selys 1854):  

JUNIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:

= Rectobranchiata Roster 1885

= Anisopterides Lucas 1900

NON-MONOSEMANTIC CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS (distinctly including Anisozygoptera):

= Anisopteroides Lameere 1935

= Epiproctophora Bechly 1996  

= Epiprocta Lohmann 1996

TYPIFIED NAME IN BASIC FORMAT: Libellula/fg (sine Lestes; incl. Aeshna)

TYPIFIED NAMES IN USE: Libellulidae, Libellulina

MODERN STATUS:  the valid, the oldest name of a generally accepted, holophyletic taxon.
Systematic position and classification of Anisoptera:

The name Anisoptera Selys 1854 is in wide use, while its senior homonym Anisoptera Stephens 1829 is not used, being substituted by its junior synonyms – either Plectoptera Packard 1886, or Ephemeroptera Hyatt & Arms 1891. Because of this, the name Anisoptera Selys 1854 should be valid, and the name Anisoptera Stephens 1829 should be regarded to be an invalid synonym of Ephemeroptera Hyatt & Arms 1891.