Blue ringtail
Species of damselfly
title: "Blue ringtail" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lestidae", "insects-of-australia", "insects-described-in-1862"] description: "Species of damselfly" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ringtail" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Species of damselfly ::
| image = Austrolestes annulosus.jpg | image_caption = Male, Tasmania, Australia | image2 = Blue Ringtail, Austrolestes annulosus, female.jpg | image2_caption = Female, Tasmania, Australia | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = | taxon = Austrolestes annulosus | authority = (Sélys, 1862) | range_map = Austrolestes annulosus distribution map.svg
The blue ringtail (Austrolestes annulosus) is an Australian damselfly. It is found on most of the continent.
Taxonomy
The blue ringtail was first described by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1862.
Description
The abdomen is 3 cm long. It can easily be confused with Coenagrion lyelli or Caliagrion billinghursti, but can be differentiated through dorsal patterns. They are a thin, medium-sized damselfly with varying coloration, which depends on maturity and temperature. However most are a striking blue with minimal black markings. Females are slightly more robust than males, and have a black and white/pale blue coloration.
Distribution and habitat
It is widely distributed in most of Australia, except for the northern and north-eastern parts. It is active through September to April in still water bodies such as riverine pools, lakes and ponds, including temporary pools.
Gallery
File:Common blue damselfly02.jpg | Male Blue-Ringtail,Austrolestes-annulosus,pair.jpg | Mating pair Austrolestes annulosus female wings (34018161393).jpg | Female wings Austrolestes annulosus male wings (34664755192).jpg | Male wings
References
References
- Dow, R.A.. (2017). "''Austrolestes annulosus''".
- Selys-Longchamps, E.. (1862). "Synopsis des Agrionines, seconde légion: ''Lestes''". Bulletin de la Classe des Science, Académie Royale de Belgique.
- Daley, Elizabeth. (2007). "Wings: an introduction to Tasmania's winged insects". Riffles Pty. Ltd.
- (October 9, 2008). "Species ''Austrolestes annulosus'' (Selys, 1862)". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::