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Blue–spotted Hawker | Adversaeschna brevistyla |
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Male Blue-spotted Hawker Dragonfly
Image: 768×576, 80KB
Date & Time: 10 December 2005 13:05
Place: Fourth Hill, Warrandyte
Male Adversaeschna brevistyla
Image: 640×640, 87KB
Date & Time: 10 December 2005 13:05
Place: Fourth Hill, Warrandyte
Female Adversaeschna brevistyla
Image: 720×560, 67KB
Date & Time: 23 November 2005 11:00
Place: One Tree Hill Reserve, Smiths Gully
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This is the most common large, brown dragonfly around Melbourne.
The side of the thorax has thick, pale yellow stripes
and there are black and pale yellow marking all along the tail (abdomen) with a pale tip.
The base of the tail in the male is narrow and the two spots at the base are blue in mature males.
It is quite similar to some Austroaeschna species, particularly
Austroaeschna inermis and Austroaeschna unicornis.
The two distinct stripes on the thorax are most helpful for separating them
as these are broken on the other species.
Generally found near still or slow waters, but can be some distance from water.
It is distributed from Tasmania to southern Queensland and in south-west Western Australia,
as well as New Zealand and some other Pacific islands.
In Victoria it can be found from spring through autumn.
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Male Blue-spotted Hawker Dragonfly
Male Adversaeschna brevistyla
Female Adversaeschna brevistyla