Kingdom Animalia Suborder Zygoptera Subfamily Coenagrioninae Scientific name Austroagrion watsoni Rank Species | Class Insecta Family Coenagrionidae Genus Austroagrion Phylum Arthropoda Order Odonate | |
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Similar Odonate, Metallic ringtail, Austrolestes, Blue ringtail, Tau emerald | ||
The eastern billabongfly (Austroagrion watsoni) is a damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is also known as the eastern dart. Eastern billabongflies are small damselflies about the size of 25mm (1 in). They are found near slow running water or still water, like lakes, ponds and ditches. Male and female eastern billabongflies mate in a wheel position.
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Identification
The male eastern billabongfly is bright blue in colour with a black pattern on abdomen. The male has its blue thorax with black marks. The damselfly's long and slender abdomen is black in colour with blue rings. The end of his abdomen is blue. The female is the same size as the male and is pale blue to grayish-green in colour. The antehumeral stripe of the female contrastingly bright green.
Behaviour
These damselflies usually rest on the plants either in the middle of ponds or at the water edges. They are generally very close to the surface, when they are resting on these plant. Eastern billabongflies are relatively quick flyers.
Similar species
They look to the common bluetail and blue riverdamsel except eastern billabongflies are smaller and have a blue bar on top of their eyes instead of two blue dots. There are usually two black squares on the eastern billabongfly's blue tail while common bluetail and blue riverdamsel's tails are all blue. The common bluetail has two postocular spots (as opposed to a single line) and has a blue, as opposed to green, antehumeral stripe. The male and female common bluetails also have bi-coloured eyes, whereas the eyes on Austroagrion watsoni are mostly uniform.
Distribution
Austroagrion watsoni is found throughout northern and eastern Australia.