Major Group: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Family: Hypolestidae
Genus: Lestoidea
This family is represented in Australia by a single genus, Lestoidea. |
Descriptive Features: head subtrapezoidal, wider than deep, frons and labrum forming a rather flat convexity, the latter fringed with short vibrissae, the labium projecting squarely from beneath it
antennae with elongate scape and a pedicel 2X longer
field of small stout spines on outer side of base of antennae and on outer parts of occiput
labial mask flattened and squared, lateral lobes robust, with moderately long movable hook and 2 robust apical teeth, the outer acuminate, the inner truncate, the inner border of the lobe finely dentate, the outer-with a tuft of long hairs at its base, without any setae; middle lobe produced, deeply emarginate at its centre where is a fine short cleft; its borders finely dentate, no setae present at its base
palps narrow, bidentate at tip
median lobe cleft
prothorax and thorax bulky as compared with very short abdomen, both coated with similar spines as seen on the head, especially on the shoulders
wing pads large and flattened, extending nearly to apical border of segment 5 of abdomen
legs moderately long, markedly depressed
femora with a row of small spines on medial border
abdomen depressed, very short, and tapered but slightly towards anal end
caudal gills saccoid, triquetral in cross-section with inner surface flattened, outer rounded, median gill slightly shorter than lateral gills, all terminating in a long tail-like spine which is thickly coated with long coarse hairs
perianal gill tufts absent
Total length: 15 mm |
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Lestoidea |
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Taxonomic Checklist: Species
(not all nymphs known)
Lestoidea barbarae Watson, 1967
Lestoidea brevicauda Theischinger, 1996
Lestoidea conjuncta Tillyard, 1913
Lestoidea lewisiana Theischinger, 1996 |
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Distribution: NE Qld. This genus is endemic.
L. barbarae, L. lewisiana - Mount Lewis
L. brevicauda - Mossman, north of Mossman
L. conjuncta - south of Mossman
Sensitivity Rating: SIGNAL grade 9
Functional Feeding Group: predators |
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Kuranda Qld |
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Ecology: Adults are commonly known as 'bluestreaks'.
Instream habitat: Lestoidea nymphs occur in tropical rocky rainforest streams.
Feeding ecology: Nymphs are predators.
Habit:
Life history: |
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Information Sources: Fraser 1956, Houston 1988, Theischinger & Hawking 2006
Key to Species: none, use distribution |
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