Wandering Ringtail (Austrolestes leda)

Wandering ringtails mating Seen on a still body of water, resting on native Nymphoides crenata.

Body length 40 mm. Australia,Austrolestes leda,Geotagged,Lestidae,Odonata,Spring,Wandering Ringtail,arthropod,damselfly reproduction,fauna,insect,invertebrate,macro,new south wales

Appearance

Up to 40mm long dark with narrow light bands and lateral markings on the thorax.
Colours depend on sex and age with adult males showing bright blue on dark copper - females with duller blue.

Juveniles have tan against dark bronze. Pterostigma pale tan. Wings at rest usually held together.

Ringtail at rest I am delighted to see so much damsel and dragonfly activity right now.

These wandering ringtail damselflies like to be around slow moving or still water and are endemic to the east of our country.

Here is one taking a rest from its frenetic activity.

Male, 40 mm body length Australia,Austrolestes leda,Fauna,Geotagged,Lestidae,Odonata,Spring,Wandering Ringtail,arthropod,insect,invertebrate,macro,new south wales,wandering ringtail

Naming

Synonym : Lestes leda Selys, 1862

Damselfly blue on silver Lovely little wandering ringtail came to rest on the silver foliage of Eremophila nivea in my garden.

Male 40 mm body length Australia,Austrolestes leda,Geotagged,Lestidae,Summer,Wandering Ringtail,arthropod,damselfly,fauna,insect,invertebrate,macro,new south wales

Distribution

South-eastern Australia; most of Victoria, occasionally south-west Western Australia. Not in Tasmania.

Damselfly coupling and courtship A wandering ringtail pair, coupling and courtship. The male is to the right, with brighter blue colouration.

I watched them dance their way around, so pretty the flashes of bright blue against the dark, still water.

Then, I took this shot as they came to rest on a half-submerged twig.

Male 40 mm body length

Australia,Austrolestes leda,Geotagged,Lestidae,Odonata,Wandering Ringtail,Zygoptera,arthropod,entomology,fauna,insect,invertebrate,macro,new south wales,spring

Status

Not at risk.

Wandering ringtail at rest This dainty and pretty little thing is a mature female wandering ringtail damselfly. Often seen around or close to slow running waters. She was one of so many out and about enjoying the sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures after the horrific week of heavy rain.

35 mm body length Australia,Austrolestes leda,Fall,Geotagged,Lestidae,Odonata,Wandering Ringtail,Zygoptera,arthropod,autumn,damselfly,fauna,insect,invertebrate,macro,new south wales

Habitat

Usually not far from water.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:298aba45-69d6-47fb-857f-c7761b5da0d1#
http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_dragons/Ringtail.htm

Taxonomy
Kingdom	Animalia
Division	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Odonata
Family	Lestidae
Genus	Austrolestes
Species	Austrolestes leda

Photographed in
Australia