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Dragonflies and Damselflies
Percher, tiger-tail, skimmer, darter, duskhawker, longlegs, billabongfly, rockmaster, bluestreak, elf, forest-watcher, arrow, flutterer, prince, streamcruiser…. these are just some of the evocative names given to different species of Australian dragonflies and damselflies.
There isn’t another group of animals that has such a colourful and energetic naming convention. But it seems appropriate because dragonflies are so captivating with their colour, speed, and radical manoeuvrability.
They’re often moving so fast that all you get is a blurry colourful impression that stops momentarily to tease your eye-brain coordination before zapping off to chase down an unfortunate gnat or competitor who has encroached on their territory.
Dragonflies tend to be larger than damselflies and have their two sets of wings permanently held out perpendicular to their bodies. Damselflies are usually more petite and when they land their wings are folded along their bodies.
Image: Australian emperor (Anax papuensis) by Ian Stewart, as entered into the 2023 Perry Lakes Photography Awards
All of them are hunters - both as adults, which we see flying about, or as larvae that live in fresh water (in fact, for much longer than the adults fly about).
It's this aquatic phase that keeps dragonflies tied to water bodies like Perry Lakes, though the adults can be found many kilometres away, and you’ve no doubt seen them in your own gardens helping to keep the mosquitoes and flies down.
Olly Berry (FoPL member and professional ecologist) has reported seeing four dragonfly and five damselfly species at Perry Lakes. Each species is distinguishable not only by appearance but also by occupying a distinctive niche in the prey it seeks and the way it hunts. Dragonflies and damselflies are most obvious in the warmer months when the adults emerge.
The dragonfly and damselfly species observed by Olly Berry around Perry Lakes are listed below, but there are almost certainly more. FoPL members might like to keep an eye out for them.
If you do see one, and are up for a challenge, try taking a photo. It requires a lot of patience, but the reward is to see the intricate engineering and beauty of these remarkable inhabitants of Perry Lakes. Also, you can upload your photos to the iNaturalist app. The image identification function is very good, and if it can't work what species it is, a very active group of experts is usually quick to provide an ID for you. It won't take you long to know our local species yourself.
If you take a good quality photo of a dragonfly or damselfly and think it might be of value for our website, please send to wildlife@friendsofperrylakes.org
Unless specified otherwise, all images are courtesy of Olly Berry, taken via mobile phone.
Dragonflies
Australian Emperor
Anax papuensis
- Largest at Perry Lakes
- Distributed throughout Australia
- About 7 cm long
- Very strong flyer, often zig zagging 1-2 metres above the water surface, non-stop around a familiar path
- Active in flight from September to May
- Female lays eggs under water in tandem with the male, as per image above
Blue Skimmer
Orthetrum caledonicum
- Likely most common at Perry Lakes
- Powder blue colour
- Flies close to water surface, hence 'skimmer'
- Lands occasionally on emergent reeds
Wandering Percher
Wandering Percher
Wandering Percher
Diplacodes bipunctata
- Small to medium size
- Colourless wings
- Males - orange or red body
- Females - yellowish green body as per image
Image: Patrick Kavanagh, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Tau Emerald
Wandering Percher
Wandering Percher
Hemicordulia tau
- Medium size
- Black and yellow body
- Long legs
- Interesting fact: eyes occupy most of the head, as per image
- Most likely seen in December
Image: Jean and Fred from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Damselflies
Blue ringtail
Red and blue damsel
Common bluetail
Austrolestes annulosus
- Largest damselfly
- Variable colour, depending on maturity and temperature
- Males usually striking blue with additional black markings, as per image above
- Females are very pale blue-bronze
- Active in flight from September to April
Common bluetail
Red and blue damsel
Common bluetail
Ischnura heterosticta
- Small damselfly
- Males have blue eyes, blue thorax and blue ringed tale, as per image above
- Females are pale green-blue colour
- Flies October to March
Red and blue damsel
Red and blue damsel
Red and blue damsel
Xanthagrion erythroneurum
- Males and females similar colour
- Red head and thorax and pale abdomen
- Active in flight from September to April
Image: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Lota ringtail
Red and blue damsel
Austrolestes io
- Medium to large size
- Males are light blue and dark brown, as per image
Image: Elaine McDonald, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Aurora blue tail
Ischnura aurora
- Small size
- Green thorax with black stripes and yellowish-brown tail with blue tip, as per image
- Active in flight October to April
Image: Courtesy of Toby Joske, as entered into the 2023 Perry Lakes Photography Awards
Further reading
The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia, by Gunther Theischinger and John Hawking (CSIRO Press).