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 Major Groups | Insecta (insects) | Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies) | Telephlebiidae
 

Telephlebiidae

Major Group: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Family: Telephlebiidae

Descriptive Features:

  • prementum flat, lying below head when closed
  • no premental setae
  • premental ligula convex, with median cleft
  • labial palps with or without endhook
  • distinct palpal setae absent
  • no spine at the base of movable hook, dorsal surface of movable hook generally smooth
  • antennae 5-7 segmented
  • tarsi of all legs 3-segmented
  • no distal tibial spurs or hooks
  • abdomen very elongate
  • sharp lateral spines on some segments, including segment 9
  • middorsal spines mostly absent, present only in both species of Notoaeschna.
  • epiproct pointed, except for Dendroaeschna conspersa that has a more irregularly truncate epiproct and Acanthaeschna victoria whose epiproct is strongly tapered with apex slightly bifid
  • Total length: 27.0 - 51.0 mm

    • Taxonomic Checklist: Genera
    Acanthaeschna
    Antipodophlebia
    Austroaeschna
    Austrophlebia
    Dromaeschna
    Notoaeschna
    Spinaeschna
    Telephlebia

    Distribution: SE SA, Vic, Tas, E NSW, Qld, S WA

    Sensitivity Rating: SIGNAL grade 9

    Functional Feeding Group: predators

    Ecology: Adults are commonly known as 'southern darners'.
    Instream habitat: Telephlebid larvae are found in fast and slow flowing waters in alpine to rainforest and dune situations. Stream types vary from trickles and runoff waters to upper reaches of rivers and small streams dominated by bedrock and boulders to temporary streams and streams that dry to pools in summer. Larvae are found in a variety of microhabitats; heavily vegetated with aquatic macrophytes, rocks, tree roots on the sides of the pools, sphagnum, cobbles, sandy substrata, leaf packs, detritus at bottom of pools, gravels, crevices of logs or in the splash zones of waterfalls. Antipodophlebia is possibly semi-aquatic, having been collected away from the stream in damp leaf litter.
    Feeding ecology: Larvae are predators.
    Habit:
    Life history: Females lay their eggs in submerged, rotten logs or damp, mossy rocks.
     
     
    Information Sources: Theischinger & Endersby 2009, Theischinger 2002, Theischinger & Hawking 2006
    Key Note: The key to genera of Telephlebiidae is best used for the identification of late instars. From early to late instars there may be marked change in the proportions of even strongly sclerotised structures like the prementum or of spines and processes. The changes may even proceed in different directions depending on species.
     More ›››  key to genera