Family AUSTROCORDULIIDAE
Compiler and date details
W.W.K. Houston, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, ACT, Australia J.A.L. Watson, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia Updated (1999) by A.A. Calder, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Introduction
The Austrocorduliidae were formerly regarded as a group of Corduliidae by Theischinger & Watson (1978, 1984) and Watson et al. (1991) until recognised as a separate family by Bechly (1996). It is represented in Australia by five genera: Apocordulia, Austrocordulia, Austrophya, Lathrocordulia and Micromidia with a total of ten species. Apocordulia macrops is a southeast Australian crepuscular dragonfly, flying late in the dusk and early in the dawn (Watson 1980). Hawking (1997) lists the conservation status of Austrocordulia leonardi Theischinger as rare due to its restricted distribution.
The adults are keyed in Watson et al. (1991) while the larvae are described and keyed in Theischinger & Watson (1984). Hawking & Theischinger (1999) give illustrations and a key to the five species of austrocorduliid larvae found in New South Wales.
Diagnosis
Adult: secondary antenodal absent between the two primary antenodal brackets ax1 and ax2, therefore the arculus is situated between the first two antenodal crossveins; all cubito-anal crossveins reduced, except the CuP-crossing (= anal crossing sensu Fraser) and the pseudo-anal crossvein PsA; hypertriangle without crossveins (Bechly 1996).
Larva: prementum completely flat-bottomed; labial palps with rather subequal dentations bearing groups of setae; frontal plate distinctly developed; abdomen lacking mid-dorsal spines (Hawking & Theischinger 1999).
General References
Bechly, G. 1996. Morphologische Untersuchungen am Flügelgeäder der rezenten Libellen und deren Stammgruppenvertreter (Insecta; Pterygota; Odonata) unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Phylogenetischen Systematik und des Grundplanes der Odonata. Petalura, Special volume 2: 1-402
Hawking, J. & 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. Albury : Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology Vol. 24 iv 218 pp.
Hawking, J.H. 1997. The conservation status of dragonflies (Odonata) from south-eastern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 56(2): 537-542
Theischinger, G. & Watson, J.A.L. 1978. The Australian Gomphomacromiinae (Odonata: Corduliidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 26: 399-431
Theischinger, G. & Watson, J.A.L. 1984. Larvae of Australian Gomphomacromiinae, and their bearing on the status of the Synthemis group of genera (Odonata: Corduliidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 32: 67-95
Watson, J.A.L. 1980. Apocordulia macrops, a new crepuscular gomphomacromiine dragonfly from south-eastern Australia (Odonata: Corduliidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 19: 287-292
Watson, J.A.L., Theischinger, G. & Abbey, H.M. 1991. The Australian Dragonflies. A guide to the identification, distributions and habitats of Australian Odonata. Canberra and Melbourne : CSIRO vii 278 pp.