''Petalura ingentissima'', the giant petaltail, has been described as the world's largest dragonfly, with a wingspan of 160 mm. It is found in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

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 ...

. Dr R.J. Tillyard described the giant petaltail in 1908. Its species name is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

adjective ''ingens'' "huge". It is one of five species in the Australian genus ''

Petalura ''Petalura'' is a genus of very large dragonflies in the family Petaluridae. Species of ''Petalura'' are brown or black with yellow markings and usually clear wings. The anal appendages of the males are broad and leaf-like giving them their commo ...

''. A large heavily built dragonfly, the giant petaltail has a black body with some yellow markings. The female's wingspan can be 158–162 mm and body length 125 mm, the largest dragonfly species in overall dimensions although members of the genus ''

Tetracanthagyna ''Tetracanthagyna'' is a genus of dragonflies in the family Aeshnidae. '' T. plagiata'' is the world's largest dragonfly by wingspan and the female ''T. plagiata'' is probably the heaviest living odonate. The genus contains the following speci ...

'' can have longer wings and ''

Chlorogomphus papilio ''Chlorogomphus'' is a genus of dragonfly in the family Chlorogomphidae The Chlorogomphidae are a family of Odonata (dragonflies) from the suborder Anisoptera A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below ...

'' a larger wing area. Measuring 5.9-6.3 cm long, the larvae are unusual in that they live in burrows along the river margin and hunt passing prey.

Gallery

Petalura ingentissima female wings (34665011080).jpg, Female wings Petalura ingentissima male wings (34888496542).jpg, Male wings

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5558402 Petaluridae Odonata of Australia Insects of Australia Endemic fauna of Australia Taxa named by Robert John Tillyard Insects described in 1908

Gallery

See also

References