''Petalura gigantea'', the giant dragonfly
or south-eastern petaltail,
is one of the world's largest dragonflies, with the males having an abdomen 6-7.5 cm long and a wingspan up to 11 cm, while females have an abdomen 8-9.5 cm long and a wingspan up to 12.5 cm.
The giant dragonfly occurs along the east coast of
NSW
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
from the Victorian border to northern NSW, and is not found west of the Great Dividing Range. There are known occurrences in the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands, in the Clarence River catchment, and on a few coastal swamps from north of Grafton to Nadgee in the south.
It is unusual not only in size, but also in having predominantly terrestrial habits at the larval stage. The giant dragonfly is listed as endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. This listing was transferred to the equivalent schedules under the
Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW) from August 2017.
''Petalura gigantea'' is a species of dragonfly in the family
Petaluridae
The petaltails of the family Petaluridae are apparently the most ancient of the extant true dragonflies (infraorder Anisoptera), having fossil members from as early as the Jurassic (over 150 million years ago).
Modern petalurids include only 11 ...
.
Petalura gigantea usually rests in sedges or shrubs while in copula, this usually occurs within a wetland area or an ecosystem based on peat (the accumulation of decayed vegetation or organic matter.
[International Journal of Odonatology, 2014
Vol. 17, No. 4, 223–236, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2014.979333]
Gallery
Petalura gigantea female wings (34921024531).jpg, Female wings
Petalura gigantea male wings (34921030661).jpg, Male wings
See also
*
List of Odonata species of Australia
References
External links
Giant Dragonfly - WingecarribbeeSouth-eastern Petaltail at Faunanet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2086847
Petaluridae
Odonata of Australia
Insects of Australia
Endemic fauna of Australia
Taxa named by William Elford Leach
Insects described in 1815