The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia

By Günther Theischinger, John Hawking and Albert Orr

Dragonflies and damselflies are conspicuous insects: many are large and brightly coloured. They are also valuable indicators of environmental wellbeing. A detailed knowledge of the dragonfly fauna is therefore an important basis for decisions about environmental protection and management.

This comprehensive guide to the Australian dragonfly fauna covers eight families of dragonflies and 10 families of damselflies, comprising the 113 genera and 333 species found in Australia. It has been updated with newly identified species and revised family names to reflect new world consensus systematics. Stunning full-colour images and distribution maps are accompanied by identification keys for adults as well as larvae, which are often used as bait for freshwater fish.

This second edition of The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia also includes illustrations by Albert Orr, one of the most renowned dragonfly illustrators. The extraordinary diversity of dragonflies will interest entomologists and amateur naturalists alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
• Release date: Mar 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781486313761

Günther Theischinger

Günther Theischinger has had a lifelong interest in aquatic insects. He has published more than 300 scientific papers, and over the years has described more than 60 new species and several new genera of Australian dragonflies. He has been a visiting scientist at the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra, and is a Research Associate of the Australian Museum and a Visiting Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, USA.

Book preview

THE COMPLETE FIELD GUIDE TO

DRAGONFLIES OF AUSTRALIA

SECOND EDITION

Also available from CSIRO Publishing:

The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia,

Second Edition, by Michael F. Braby

title

© Text Günther Theischinger and John Hawking 2021

© Colour illustrations Albert Orr 2021

All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO Publishing for all permission requests.

The authors and illustrator assert their moral rights, including the right to be identified as a creator.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia.

ISBN: 9781486313747 (pbk)

ISBN: 9781486313754 (epdf)

ISBN: 9781486313761 (epub)

How to cite:

Theischinger G, Hawking J, Orr A (2021) The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. 2nd edn. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Published by:

CSIRO Publishing

Locked Bag 10

Clayton South VIC 3169

Australia

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Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.publish.csiro.au

Front cover: (top, left to right) Austroaeschna ingrid, Eusynthemis ursula, Austropetalia annaliese (photos by Günther Theischinger); (bottom) Diphlebia coerulescens (photo by Albert Orr).

Set in Minion 9.5/12

Cover design by James Kelly

Printed in China by Leo Paper Products Ltd

CSIRO Publishing publishes and distributes scientific, technical and health science books, magazines and journals from Australia to a worldwide audience and conducts these activities autonomously from the research activities of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of, and should not be attributed to, the publisher or CSIRO. The copyright owner shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information.

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Nov20_01

Foreword to first edition

In today’s crowded world humans are imposing increasing pressures on the pre-existing fauna and flora. Freshwater habitats have become especially vulnerable to such pressures and protection of their biota is now an urgent priority for people and agencies concerned with nature conservation. To an increasing extent conservationists are becoming aware of the vital role that insects play in maintaining the balance of nature. Large, diurnal, conspicuous animals like dragonflies serve as excellent ambassadors for insects. At the same time they are valuable indicators of healthy freshwater habitats and so have an important role to play in aiding conservation and conservation awareness.

The Australian dragonfly fauna, comprising more than 300 species, is dauntingly large for the novice to tackle without an authoritative identification manual. An important first step towards this goal was the publication, in 1991, of the book The Australian Dragonflies by Tony Watson, Günther Theischinger and Hilda Abbey, which became an essential reference for Australian odonatologists. Still needed was a user-friendly field guide. The authors of this book deserve the gratitude and congratulations of entomologists and conservationists alike for having met this need by producing this excellent book. Apart from giving field observers much pleasure and satisfaction, it will provide an invaluable tool in the armoury of those charged with compiling reliable fauna lists needed for the conservation of aquatic habitats and their occupants. I wish this attractive book the success it richly deserves.

Philip S Corbet

University of Edinburgh, UK

Foreword to second edition

Since the middle of last century, interest in dragonflies by professionals and non-professionals alike has increased enormously throughout the globe. Whereas formerly scientists focussed their interest on the structure and behaviour of these ‘living fossils’, that have remained essentially unchanged since Upper Palaeozoic times, nowadays the role of dragonflies in biotic communities and their significant capacity as indicators of freshwater health has become a key issue. No serious nature conservation research today would omit the critical consideration of the effects of environmental degradation on the regional dragonfly fauna.

Just as no poetry can be written without the author having a command of words, in biological research a knowledge of species is absolutely vital. To this end the present book will serve as an indispensable tool throughout Australia.

First published in 2006, this second edition has been significantly revised and updated. The frequent reprinting of the first edition within a short space of time speaks for the importance of and demand for this definitive work. The scientific profile of its authors is a firm guarantee of the excellence of the treatment, based on the most recent views of odonate classification.

The taxa described or recorded from Australia after 2006 are added, bringing the number of the hitherto known Australian species close to the 350 mark. All species are concisely described and the information on their habitats and larvae is supplied. The adults and the known larvae are keyed in a user-friendly style.

The quality of the text is enhanced with artwork by Dr Albert George Orr, one of the greatest dragonfly illustrators of our time. Many of the dragonfly portraits from the previous edition are also replaced by new, higher-quality photographs.

This new edition represents a milestone in our knowledge of Australian dragonflies and will remain a standard reference for a long time to come.

Bastiaan Kiauta

Past-Editor of Odonatologica

Xanthagrion erythroneurum.

Preface and acknowledgments to first edition

Dragonflies, with their kaleidoscope of colours, exquisite symmetry and incredible flying abilities, are one of the most eminently watchable kinds of animals. They have featured in folklore over time and their aesthetic beauty still fascinates us today. There has always been much interest in the group – in the past mainly with scientists, but more recently also with amateur watchers. Through recent major studies we now have a reasonable understanding of the Australian dragonflies and their larvae, best known as ‘mud-eyes’ and often used as bait in freshwater fishing.

The introductory chapter of this guide deals briefly with the biology and ecology of the order Odonata. This is followed by the species accounts, which should allow identification of individual species by diagnostic notes, figures, distribution maps and photographs. The photographs and diagrams are not to scale.

At the end of the book are illustrated keys for families, genera and some species, as well as diagnostic keys for larvae which are, however, based on characters of the final instar and are less reliable for earlier instars. There is also an illustrated glossary of descriptive terms.

A number of people greatly supported us by sending particular photographs for publication and/or by allowing us to pick photographs from their collection. They are: Steve Axford, Graham Brown, Klaus Buck, Max Carpenter, Peter Chew, Sid Dunkle, Günther Fleck, Andre Günther, Ego Guiotto, Karlie Hawking, Antoine van der Heijden, Glenn Hoye, Steve Jacobs, Kathie Le Busque, Leonard Müller, Norman Müller, Dennis Paulson, David Rentz, Ulrich Röder, Deniss Reeves, Steve Richards, Netta Smith, Tanya Whiteway and Keith Wilson.

For help with proofreading we are deeply indebted to Sid Dunkle, Ian Endersby, Leonard Müller, Deniss Reeves and Neville Yates.

We wish to thank Dr P Scanes, Dr T Pritchard and Dr C Koop of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation, and Dr D Mitchell, Dr T Hillman and Dr B Gawne of the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre for their support.

Special thanks go to Nick Alexander who never lost track during his navigation through difficult terrain. It is he who should be particularly credited if the book is found appealing.

Günther Theischinger

John Hawking

Preface and acknowledgments to second edition

The first edition of The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia was published in 2006, and three reprints (2010, 2012, 2016) followed without any significant changes, additions or amendments. The opportunity was then offered and taken to present a new edition with changes, additions or amendments where it appeared timely and appropriate.

As the fundamental aims of the book have not changed, namely to provide an authoritative but usable reference for the identification of dragonflies from Australia, this update is based as closely as possible on the first edition. There were, however, in the last 14 years several significant advances in the knowledge of dragonflies world-wide and in Australia that necessitated updating and revising this field guide. Other significant recent research is listed in the ‘References and further reading’ section.

New studies by various authors on the morphology of dragonfly adults and larvae, cladistics and lately molecular phylogeny paved the way for a multi-authored consensus on the higher classification of dragonflies based on the principles of stability (usage should change as little as possible) and monophyly of family group taxa (Dijkstra et al. 2013 ). This arrangement, complemented by Kalkman & Theischinger (2013) and Dijkstra et al. (2014) , is generally followed in this edition. Thus the order of family group taxa in Australia is at least temporarily, and for better or worse, brought in line with that followed in the rest of the world. Details and differences of this classification to the previously used classification are given in the section ‘Species guide’. A molecular phylogeny and classification of Anisoptera is now also available (Carle et al. 2015 ), but its findings seem too premature to alter the consensus arrangement, which is still the most widely used scheme.

Since the first edition there have been several additions to the Australian fauna. These include an isostictid genus not previously known from Australia but recently found in tropical Queensland (Theischinger 2009 ), as well as seven newly described species, six from eastern Australia (Theischinger 2008b , 2013 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 ; Theischinger & Burwell 2017 ) and one supposed from photographic evidence to occur in Australia (Rowe 2019 ). Name and taxonomic status for some taxa were changed (e.g. Peters 2006). De Baar et al. (2010) , reporting on the fauna of Dauan Island, an Australian Island very close to New Guinea, listed two spectacular dragonfly species hitherto not recorded from Australia. Kalkman & Orr (2012) discussed the Australian monsoon tropics as a barrier for exchange of dragonflies between New Guinea and Australia.

Theischinger & Endersby (2009) published a book on the Australian fauna, including keys for identification of adults and larvae at species level, distribution dot maps for all species and references to species of conservation concern. Important particularly for studying Australia’s northernmost dragonflies, the fauna of New Guinea, Maluku and the Solomon Islands (adults only) was treated comprehensively by Michalski (2012), Kalkman & Orr (2013) and Orr & Kalkman (2015). The series of preliminary keys for the identification of Australian Anisoptera larvae was completed (Theischinger 2007 ). Theischinger & Endersby (2014) presented the descriptive history of the known larvae of Australian dragonflies; larvae of additional species were diagnosed by Fleck (2007) and Theischinger & Tang (2013) . All Australian dragonfly species were assigned a conservation status (Dow 2017 ).

Comprehensive books/larger papers were published on several major regions of Australia. They include south-west Australia (Taylor 2012 ), Pilbara, north-west Australia (Taylor 2013 ), South-East Queensland (Nattrass 2006 ), Victoria and Tasmania (Richter & Endersby 2019 ), Eungella region in Queensland (Burwell et al. 2020b ), the Granite Belt region of Queensland (Burwell et al. 2020a ), and the Murray Darling Basin (Theischinger et al. 2017).

Significant changes in geographic distribution, some possibly connected with global warming, were reported by Endersby (2013a ,b, 2014a,b), Haywood & Richter (2013) , Haywood (2019) , Kenway (2006) , Richter (2013 , 2014 , 2016 ), Sands & Burwell (2009) , Theischinger (2008a , 2009 , 2011), Theischinger & Jacobs (2012) , Theischinger et al. (2013) .

Baird et al. (2006–2018), Cordero-Rivera (2015–2017), Peters & Theischinger (2006), Theischinger (2010 , 2012 ) and Ware et al. (2009 , 2014) gave particular attention to phylogenetic relationships and biology of some of the most unusual Australian endemic species.

Bush et al. (2012–2014) elaborated on use of dragonflies for environmental monitoring and modelled future distributions of dragonflies considering different climate change scenarios. Endersby & Fliedner (2015) published a book on the naming of Australia’s dragonflies, with biographies of the scientists who named and described them. In 2017 Australia Post produced a series of six dragonfly stamps.

To improve appearance and usefulness of the book, colour portraits of some adult dragonflies were kindly provided by A.G. Orr. These and new life colour photos and habitus drawings of larvae are included in the section ‘Identification’. Ray Andress provided a water colour painting of Petalura ingentissima, one of the world’s most massive dragonflies and an Australian icon.

A wealth of excellent photographs of adult dragonflies and damselflies in life by Chris Burwell, Ros Coy, Vik Dunis, Rod Fensham, Deane Lewis, Elaine McDonald, Leonard Mueller, Kerrie O’Donnell, Fons and Valentina Peels, Steve Richards, Reiner Richter, Petra Ries, Linda Rogan, Massimo Terragni, Colin Trainor, Edward Tsyrlin, Geoff Walker and Graham Winterflood enabled us to significantly improve the photographic presentation of the fauna.

We are very grateful for all those who have helped to improve the book. Special thanks go to Briana Melideo who gave her best, initiating, enabling and facilitating the publication of this second edition. It is she who should receive the most credit if this edition is found more useful and appealing than the previous edition.

Günther Theischinger

A newly emerged Hemicordulia tau.

Contents

Foreword to first edition

Foreword to second edition

Preface and acknowledgments to first edition

Preface and acknowledgments to second edition

Introduction

Species guide

Zygoptera (Damselflies)

Hemiphlebiidae Greenlings

Synlestidae Relicts/Sylphs/Malachites

Lestidae Spreadwings/Reedlings

Chlorocyphidae Jewels

Calopterygidae Demoiselles

Lestoideidae Bluestreaks/Rockmasters

Argiolestidae Flatwings

Isostictidae Narrow-wings

Platycnemididae Threadtails/Pinflies

Coenagrionidae Pond Damsels

Anisoptera (Dragonflies proper)

Austropetaliidae Redspots

Aeshnidae Southern Darners/Hawkers

Petaluridae Petaltails

Gomphidae Clubtails/Tigers

Synthemistidae Tigertails/Southern Emeralds

Macromiidae Cruisers

Corduliidae Emeralds/Round winged/Modern Emeralds

Libellulidae Baskers/Skimmers/Perchers

Libelluloidea incertae sedis Urflies/Mistflies/Hawks/Streamcruisers/Shutwings

Illustrated glossary

Identification of adults

Identification of larvae

Studying dragonflies

Checklist of species

References and further reading

Index of scientific names

Index of common names

Aethriamanta circumsignata (male).

Introduction

Dragonflies are primitive insects, belonging to the order Odonata – a name which refers to the large teeth-like mandibles of both larva and adult. In Australia, the Odonata contains two suborders: the damselflies (Zygoptera) and the dragonflies proper (Anisoptera).

Damselflies are generally very slender insects, with forewings and hindwings similar in shape and venation and commonly held closed above the body. Damselfly larvae have external gills at the end of the abdomen. Dragonflies proper are stouter, stronger-flying insects. Their forewings and hindwings are more or less dissimilar in shape and venation and are commonly held spread out when they are at rest. Their larvae have internal rectal gills, and the abdomen ends in an anal pyramid.

Endemism

Australia was part of the ancient continent Gondwana and this is reflected in the dragonfly fauna. The Ancient Greenling (Hemiphlebia mirabilis) was, at least until recently, considered as possibly the most ancient species, having characteristics of damselflies recorded from the Permian Period (280–225 million years ago), and the Petaltails (Petalura) are thought to be similar to fossil dragonflies from the Jurassic Period (195–135 million years ago).

Australia has a high level of endemic dragonflies, with the Ancient Greenling, Pretty Relict (Chorismagrion risi), Bluestreaks (Lestoidea), Whitetips (Episynlestes), Needles (Synlestes), Shutwings (Cordulephya), Hawks (Austrocordulia and Apocordulia), Urflies (Archaeophya), Mistflies (Pseudocordulia), Streamcruiser (Hesperocordulia), Mosquitohawks (Micromidia), Swiftwings (Lathrocordulia) and Mystics (Austrophya) not being found outside Australia.

Australia has numerous members of Argiolestidae, Petaluridae, Aeshnidae, Synthemistidae and of Libelluloidea incertae sedis. However, it lacks Platystictidae and Cordulegastridae, and the representation of Calopterygidae and Chlorocyphidae is doubtful and of Coenagrionidae, Corduliidae, Macromiidae and Libellulidae is rather poor.

Life cycle

Dragonflies are hemimetabolous, that is they undergo gradual larval development, with the wings forming in the body of the larva and the emerging adult attaining a different form to the larva. They have three development stages, egg, larva and adult, of which the egg and larval stage are aquatic, and the adult is terrestrial.

Egg

The eggs of most damselflies and some dragonflies such as Petaltails (Petalura) and Darners (Aeshnidae) are elongate (Fig. 1) and are usually inserted into plant tissue or into soft mud (endophytic). In contrast, the other dragonfly eggs are round or oval (Fig. 2) and are laid directly in the water (exophytic). Freshly laid eggs are generally creamy white, turning yellow-brown within 24 hours, with eyespots appearing after two days, becoming dark orange prior to hatching. Egg development is direct, without a resting (diapause) stage, although there is a possibility that it may occur in some species of Ringtails (Lestidae). Development takes place generally in waters with a temperature greater than 14°C, and the cycle is completed in 6–30 days.

Larva

On emerging from the egg the larva has a short, prolarval stage (Fig. 3) where the larva is encased in a sheath, from which it emerges in less than a minute to become a true larva (Fig. 4). The larva progresses through 9–15 development stages, with the wing bud development commencing in the sixth, seventh or eighth stage.

Fig. 1. Eggs of Australian Emperor, Anax papuensis.

Fig. 2. Eggs of Southern Vicetail, Hemigomphus gouldii.

Fig. 3. First instar larva of Scarlet Percher, Diplacodes haematodes.

Fig. 4. Second instar larva of Scarlet Percher, Diplacodes haematodes.

Fig. 5. Larva of damselfly, Austrolestes analis.

Fig. 6. Larva of dragonfly, Austrogomphus sp.

Fig. 7. Final instar larva of Pantala flavescens about to emerge.

The larvae of damselflies are mostly long and slender and have three long respiratory gills attached to the 10th abdominal segment (Fig. 5). In contrast, dragonfly larvae are stouter (Fig. 6), have respiratory gills inside their rectal chamber and breathe through their anus. This allows the larvae to propel themselves by forcing water out of the anus under pressure. The larvae of damselflies and dragonflies are predacious, being either ‘sit and wait’ or ‘attack’ predators, and feed on the aquatic invertebrates (midge larvae, mayfly nymphs etc.) that occur in their habitat. The larvae capture their prey by thrusting out their large extendable labium (jaw).

When the larva is fully developed (Fig. 7) – that is, when its wing pads are fully formed – it moves to the water body margin onto an exposed rock, log or plant where it prepares for the final stage of metamorphosis. Its larval skin splits along the midline of the thorax and the adult progressively emerges over a period of approximately one hour (Figs. 8–10). Most species emerge in the cool of the morning, with a number emerging during the day. Other species, in the warmer regions of northern Australia, emerge at night.

Adult

The newly emerged adult or teneral is dull and colourless (Fig. 11) and only stays near the stream margin long enough for its wings to dry. It then moves away from the water body until it reaches sexual maturity (generally one to four weeks). The riverine species appear to move only a short distance, up to 500 m from the stream, and on maturity return near to their site of emergence, whereas species from standing waters are more opportunistic and will seek out a range of water bodies. Adults are also predators and hunt live prey (midges, moths), generally capturing them in flight (Fig. 12). Their prey is detected by their multi-faceted eyes which give them almost 360-degree vision (Fig. 13).

Fig. 8. Ictinogomphus australis emerging from the exuvia.

Fig. 9. Ictinogomphus australis immediately after emerging from the exuvia.

Fig. 10. Ictinogomphus australis five minutes after emerging from the exuvia.

Fig. 11. Teneral and exuvia of Hemicordulia tau.

Fig. 12. Austrogomphus cornutus eating an hemipteran.

Fig. 13. Synthemis eustalacta, head.

Fig. 14. Xanthagrion erythroneurum pair in the ‘wheel’ position.

After maturing, the male returns to the water body and selects his territory, a small stretch of

Reviews for The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia

[wiccked · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is fabulous. Even not knowing anything at all about dragonflies, the book is simple enough to use to enable me to identify a dragonfly that I may have taken photos of. Which is exactly what I want this book for!