''Tramea loewii'', the common glider, is a species of dragonfly in the Libellulidae family. It is found in the

Cocos Islands ) , anthem = "''Advance Australia Fair''" , song_type = , song = , image_map = Australia on the globe (Cocos (Keeling) Islands special) (Southeast Asia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands , map_caption = ...

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

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 ...

, New Caledonia, Australia and the western Pacific. Since 2005, ''Tramea loewii'' has also been recorded in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Description

''Tramea loewii'' is a medium to large dragonfly (wingspan 85 mm, length 45 mm). Its

synthorax The thorax is the midsection ( tagma) of the hexapod body (insects and entognathans). It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma or cephalothorax in other arthropods. It is formed by the prothorax, mesothorax and met ...

is striped yellowish to brown on a purplish background. Males have a red abdomen, and the last two segments have black markings. Females are a dull brown colour. Dark patches at the base of their hindwings are a characteristic feature of this species; males have red patches and females have brown. ''Tramea loewii'' is very similar to ''

Tramea stenoloba ''Tramea stenoloba'', the narrow-lobed glider, is a species of dragonfly in the Libellulidae family. It is found in the Cocos Islands, Lesser Sunda Islands, Java Sea and Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is ...

'' which has a darker synthorax, and larger genital dimensions.

Habitat

''Tramea loewii'' inhabits a wide range of still waters, ponds and swamps, and may breed many times in a year. In Australia it is widespread except for the far south-west of the continent.

Gallery

Common Glider Dragonfly. Tramea loewii (Trapezostigma loewii). LIBELLULIDAE - Flickr - gailhampshire (3).jpg, Male common glider has a red abdomen with black markings near the tip Female Common Glider flank (17068671967).jpg, Female common glider has a brown abdomen with black markings near the tip Tramea loewii - Common Glider.jpg , Male viewed from the side Male Common Glider lateral (17274274202).jpg, Female viewed from the side Tramea_face_2.jpg , Male face Male Common Glider face (17068781047).jpg, Female face Tramea loewii wings 1216.svg, Illustration of male ''Tramea'' wing venation Tramea loewii female wings (34219442984).jpg, Photo of female wings Australian insects (Plate VIII) (7268226282).jpg, 1. ''Tramea loewii'' from ''Australian Insects'' 1907

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2463844 Libellulidae Odonata of Oceania Odonata of Australia Odonata of New Zealand Insects of New Guinea Insects of Indonesia Insects of Southeast Asia Insects of New Caledonia Taxa named by Johann Jakob Kaup Insects described in 1866