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Ancient Greenling | Hemiphlebia mirabilis |
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Female Hemiphlebia mirabilis
Image: 768×400, 26KB
Date & Time: 3 January 2009 15:40
Place: Discovery Bay Coastal Park
Male Hemiphlebia mirabilis
Image: 736×480, 30KB
Date & Time: 3 January 2009 15:35
Place: Discovery Bay Coastal Park
Male Ancient Greenling Waving Tail
Image: 576×640, 39KB
Date & Time: 3 January 2009 17:30
Place: Discovery Bay Coastal Park
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These are small damselflies (about 22–24mm long), metallic green or bronze in appearance.
They have a dark stripe horizontally across the eyes near the top
and both sexes have small, white appendages at the end of their tails.
They fan this out and wave their tail by curling it up, usually after landing.
They are rare but thrive in pristine swamps dominated by thick twig-rushes (Baumea sp.)
emerging from fairly shallow water (<50cm).
They are not active flyers ans when disturbed they would generally only fly short distances,
although capable of bursts of speed that I observed when they were hunting and males jousted.
This is one of the more significant entomological discoveries of the summer of 2008/9.
They were previously known from around Yea, Wilsons Promontory, King Island and one location in north-east Tasmania,
where they have never been seen in large numbers.
This new colony was found about 400km from the nearest known location,
on both sides of the South Australia/Victoria border.
The IUCN 2008 Red List shows the species as endangered.
It has special protection in Victoria under the
Flora
and Fauna Guarantee Act.
It was certainly a highlight finding a new species (for me) and in a location they were not previously known in.
Hemiphlebia mirabilis Mating Observations
The males would identify a target, suitable or otherwise, pounce onto its back,
clasping the potential mate's wings with his legs. Sometime they would grab another male
in this way or even a different species, as seen in image
5767
where a teneral male Austrolestes analis is being held.
During the one apparently successful mating I did observe, the male, after holding the female's wings for a while,
crawled up the wings to the front, curved his abdomen underneath and clasped the her by the neck
(as normally seen with damselflies) and she curled her abdomen underneath.
After about 10 minutes they separated and the male flew off.
The female rested a while but then also flew off (but I may have disturbed her with my camera)
so I missed any potential ovipositing.
Here is a picture of a mating couple.
After observing this male "pouncing" behaviour a few times I believe the distinctive waving of the tail
this species is known for is to indicate to those around not to try and mate,
as the tail curled up over the body would make them impossible to grasp,
and also explains why both males and females perform this.
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Female Hemiphlebia mirabilis
Male Hemiphlebia mirabilis
Male Ancient Greenling Waving Tail
