Dragonflies & DamselfliesDragonfly or Damselfly? Sex Lives and Dragonflies Damselflies Diplacodes haematodes Diplacodes melanopsis (Black-faced Percher) Hemicordulia tau Orthetrum caledonicum Orthetrum migratum Orthetrum villosovittatum
The damselfly (suborder Zygoptera) are usually smaller then the dragonfly (suborder Anisoptera). They also differ to the dragonflies, in that the damselflies eyes are placed apart and when at rest their wings lay along the body. The dragonflies are usually larger and more powerful fliers to the damselflies, with large eyes that almost meet at the top of their heads and at rest their wings are spread out to the side from the body.
At the larval stages of the two suborders of damselfly and dragonfly, they can be distinguished by the placement of the gills. The damselfly larvae have gills at the end of the body as three appendages, whilst the dragonfly larvae suck water into their abdomen and move it over their internal gills.
Aurora Bluetail Damselfly (Ischnura aurora)
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Odonata
- Suborders: Zygoptera
- Superfamily: Coenagrionoidea
- Family: Coenagrionidae
- Genus: Ischnura
- Species: Ischnura aurora
Footnote & References
- Ischnura aurora (Brauer, 1865), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Ischnura aurora
Wandering Ringtail Damselflies (Austrolestes leda)
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Odonata
- Suborders: Zygoptera
- Superfamily: Lestoidea
- Family: Lestidae
- Genus: Austrolestes
- Species: Austrolestes leda
Footnote & References
- Austrolestes leda (Selys, 1862), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Austrolestes leda
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Odonata
- Suborders: Zygoptera
Footnote & References
- Nature Photos from My Garden (Di Bickers), Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086275255680
- Dragonflies and damselflies – Order Odonata, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/dragonflies-and-damselflies-order-odonata/
Dragonflies & DamselfliesDragonfly or Damselfly? Sex Lives and Dragonflies Damselflies Diplacodes haematodes Diplacodes melanopsis (Black-faced Percher) Hemicordulia tau Orthetrum caledonicum Orthetrum migratum Orthetrum villosovittatum
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub