Kingdom Animalia Family Telephlebiidae Scientific name Austroaeschna tasmanica Rank Species | Class Insecta Genus Austroaeschna Phylum Arthropoda Order Odonate | |
Similar Austroaeschna, Alpine darner, Odonate, Metallic ringtail, Austrogomphus | ||
The Tasmanian darner (Austroaeschna tasmanica), is a species of dragonfly in the family Telephlebiidae, which includes some of the world's largest dragonflies. It is found in Tasmania, Australia. The species was first described by Robert Tillyard in 1916 and inhabits streams and rivers.
Also referred to as "hawkers", the name "darner" derives from the fact that the female abdomens look like a sewing needle, as they cut into plant stem when they lay their eggs through the ovipositor.
The Tasmanian darner appears similar to the lesser Tasmanian darner, Austroaeschna hardyi.
References
Tasmanian darner Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA