''Aethriamanta circumsignata'' known as the square-spot basker is a species of

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

in the family

Libellulidae The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest dragonfly family in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Ev ...

. It is found in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

. The species is usually found near still or sluggish waters. In northern Australia, it is found coastal and adjacent inland in an arc from

Broome, Western Australia Broome, also known as Rubibi by the Yawuru people, is a coastal pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. In the the population was recorded as 14,660. It is the largest town in the Kimberley reg ...

to around

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

in New South Wales. They are a small dragonfly with a wingspan of 40–60 mm, and predominantly red in colour. The wings have less venation than larger dragonflies, and few antenodal cross-veins. Adults may be found at some distance from water. The hindwing has a brown mark at the base which is squarish in shape, leading to its common name. The taxon has been assessed as being of

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

for the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

Identification

The square-spot basker ''Aethriamanta circumsignata'' and L-spot basker '' Aethriamanta nymphaeae'' are very similar dragonflies and can be difficult to separate. The common name describes dark markings at the base of the hindwing of each species. The square-spot basker generally has two dark brown flecks. One radiates between the second and third vein (Sc and R) and the other radiates between the fourth and fifth vein (Cu and A). Below these flecks is a large dark squarish patch containing a small transparent wedge near the abdomen. A lighter brown surrounds the dark marks and may extend to the triangle and hindwing margin. Light brown marks may also exist at the base of the forewing.

Gallery

Square-spot Basker (15824140289).jpg, Male with bright yellow on face Aethriamanta circumsignata 0582.jpg, Male, Cairns, Queensland Aethriamanta circumsignata female wings (34888592942).jpg, Female wings Aethriamanta circumsignata male wings (35052816795).jpg, Male wings

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1873568 Libellulidae Odonata of Asia Odonata of Australia Insects of Australia Insects of New Guinea Taxa named by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps Insects described in 1897

Identification

Gallery

See also

References