Austrolestes leda
Wandering Ringtail at Majura, ACT
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| Austrolestes leda | HarveyPerkins | 12 Oct 2020 | |
| Austrolestes leda | HarveyPerkins | 12 Oct 2020 | |
| Austrolestes io | RodDeb | 11 Oct 2020 |
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5 comments
12 Oct 2020
Harvey, what are the noticeable differences between the Wandering and Iota Ringtail damselflies so we know what to look for. Thanks
12 Oct 2020
The only thing the T&H field guide indicates is the shape of the mark in the dorsum of the 2nd abdominal segment - the "i" mark. Which is what you presumably based your ID on. But I find it very unreliable on field photos as you rarely get a really good view of it. The things I now look for, which you won't find in any available field guides or online resources, is the detail of the "waviness" of the blue markings on the lower lateral part of the thorax, and particularly the extent of blue on the 9th abdominal segment. In Iota RTs, the wavy upper edge of the thoracic segment is much more 'humped' in the middle, and the 9th segment only has a small patch of blue on the tergum itself, not continuing down the side to the underneath.
The only place I've found Iota Ringtails in the ACT in any numbers is in small high mountain creeks, such as Grassy Creek. The very first ones I found, in a small pond at the Gleneagles golf course, appear to be an aberration for the ACT situation, but elsewhere Iota Ringtails can be found at low elevations. So unfortunately, there is insufficient data on this species in the ACT to really try to understand it's distribution or requirements.
The only place I've found Iota Ringtails in the ACT in any numbers is in small high mountain creeks, such as Grassy Creek. The very first ones I found, in a small pond at the Gleneagles golf course, appear to be an aberration for the ACT situation, but elsewhere Iota Ringtails can be found at low elevations. So unfortunately, there is insufficient data on this species in the ACT to really try to understand it's distribution or requirements.
12 Oct 2020
Thank you very much Harvey for the detailed description, really appreciate your time and help. Maybe you should think about writing a book with your wonderful wealth of knowledge. :)
12 Oct 2020
That will be something to look forward to, hope we hear about it when you have finished. Good luck.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.180276-35.273036
- Altitude 554.2m
- Maps Mount Ainslie
- Places Majura, ACT
Sighting information
- 2 Abundance
- 10 Oct 2020 01:06 PM Recorded on
- RodDeb Recorded by
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
Collections
- RodDeb Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Austrolestes leda Damselflies (Zygoptera) Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata) Insects
Species information
- Austrolestes leda Scientific name
- Wandering Ringtail Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1232.9m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Additional attributes
- Description