Anisoptera (dragonflies)

Code QO179999

A widespread and common family of dragonflies, mostly of still or slowly running water, including ephemeral waterbodies and swamps. Many species have brightly coloured (red or blue) males and drab-coloured females, though some species are brown or black with yellow/green markings. Sizes range from very small to moderately large. The wings of some species are tinted or patterned, sometimes with strong colour.

Adult Libellulidae can be readily identified to family by features of the wing venation, but separation of larvae between Corduliidae and Libellulidae can be difficult. It may be that the boundary between these two families is poorly defined.

Libellulid larvae are short and rounded, and the labial mask is strongly concave and covers the whole front of the 'face', as in Corduliidae. Likewise the palps are much broadened distally and always carry setae, either singly or in discrete bundles.

The labial palps in Libellulidae usually are smooth distally, rarely toothed or notched. Those of Corduliidae always are toothed, at least in the later instars. In those Libellulidae where the distal edge of the palps become notched, the anal pyramid is long with three long points (epiproct and paraprocts) and two shorter spines (cerci). The anal pyramid in corduliid larvae is generally short with all five points of equal length.

NB : A recent guide to the larvae of Australian Odonates (Hawking & Theischinger, 1999) has proposed a new classification system in which the family Libellulidae has been divided into the families Urothemistidae and Libellulidae.

Reference:

Hawking, J.H. (1986) Dragonfly larvae of the River Murray system. Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation Technical Report No. 6., Wodonga.

Hawking, J.H. and Theischinger, G. (1999) Dragonfly Larvae (Odonata): A Guide to the Identification of Larvae of Australian Families and to the Identification and Ecology of Larvae from New South Wales . CRCFE Identification Guide No. 24., Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Thurgoona.