Eastern billabongfly

Austroagrion watsoni

The eastern billabongfly is a damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.
It is also known as the eastern dart. Eastern billabongflies are small damselflies about 25mm in length. They are found near slow running water or still water, such as lakes, ponds and ditches. Male and female eastern billabongflies mate in a wheel position.
breeding_damselflies  Australia,Austroagrion watsoni,Eastern billabongfly,Geotagged

Appearance

The male eastern billabongfly has a bright blue thorax with black markings, and a long and slender black abdomen with blue rings and a blue tip. The female is a similar size to the male and is pale blue to grayish-green in colour. The antehumeral stripe of the female is a contrastingly bright green.
Eastern Billabongfly (Austroagrion watsoni) Right at the limits of my pocket camera about 6 matres away. These were out in the middle of a shallow pond occasionally landing on floating leaves. They were so alert that if I just moved my hand they disappeared.
Very small and fragile looking - estimated length 35mm. Australia,Austroagrion watsoni,Eastern billabongfly,Geotagged,Summer

Naming

Eastern billabongflies appear similar to common bluetails and blue riverdamsels. Eastern billabongflies are smaller. Eastern billabongflies have a blue bar just behind their eyes where the common bluetail has two blue spots. The tips of the tails of eastern billabongflies have two black squares, whereas the common bluetail and blue riverdamsel tails are all blue. Eastern billabongflies have a green antehumeral stripe, where the common bluetail has a blue stripe. The eyes of an eastern billabongfly are mostly uniformly coloured, whereas common bluetails have bi-coloured eyes.
Eastern billabongfly - Austroagrion watsoni Pair in tandem Australia,Austroagrion watsoni,Eamw dragonflies,East Kurrajong NSW,Eastern billabongfly,Geotagged,Spring

Distribution

Eastern billabongflies are found throughout northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, as well as on New Caledonia in the Pacific.

Behavior

Eastern billabongflies usually rest on plants either in a pond or at the waters edge, and sit very close to the water surface. They are relatively quick flyers.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderOdonata
FamilyCoenagrionidae
GenusAustroagrion
SpeciesA. watsoni
Photographed in
Australia