Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea)

The Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) is a damselfly species of the family Coenagrionidae, which contains 30 species in Australia.

The identification key to the family Coenagrionidae consists of 54 couplets, 11 of which are pertinent to Agriocnemis argentea. Click on the numbers on the right to display the corresponding couplets. Or click on the ALLin1 button to see all the relevant couplets together in a single, scrollable window.

#	Family	Species	Couplet No.
	Coenagrionidae	Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea)	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 1 of 54 ● Arculus in hindwing situated beyond distal antenodal crossvein by at least the length of subcostal part of antenodal ○ Very small damselflies, hindwing shorter than 14 mm ⇒ genus: Agriocnemis a ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 3 of 54 ● Inferior anal appendages almost the same length as, or shorter than, superiors b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 4 of 54 ● Tips of superior appendages not converging b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 6 of 54 ● Small black spot at upper end of metapleural suture b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 7 of 54 ● Upper surface of superior appendage ending in short, stout tooth ○ Mature males covered in white pruinescence ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) a ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 8 of 54 ● Posterior lobe of pronotum well developed b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 9 of 54 ● Central part of posterior lobe of pronotum, if differentiated from rest, a single, upright flap, or depressed b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 10 of 54 ● Central part of superior lobe of pronotum, if differentiated, a simple or trilobed flap, usually highest in midline b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 12 of 54 ● Margins of central and lateral portions of posterior lobe of pronotum discontinuous, central portion ending behind lateral portion ○ From north-western Australia ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) a ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 12 of 54 ● Margins of central and lateral portions of posterior lobe of pronotum continuous ○ From eastern and northern Australia b ↑ Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 13 of 54 ● Central portion of posterior lobe scarcely differentiated from lateral portions ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) b ↑
1			Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 1 of 54 ● Arculus in hindwing situated beyond distal antenodal crossvein by at least the length of subcostal part of antenodal ○ Very small damselflies, hindwing shorter than 14 mm ⇒ genus: Agriocnemis a ↑ b ↓ ○ Damselflies without this combination of characters
2		Male only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 3 of 54 ● Inferior anal appendages much longer than superiors ⇒ species: Pinhead Wisp (Agriocnemis femina) a ↑ b ↓ ● Inferior anal appendages almost the same length as, or shorter than, superiors
3		Male only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 4 of 54 ● Tips of superior appendages converging a ↑ b ↓ ● Tips of superior appendages not converging
4		Male only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 6 of 54 ● Black line present along upper half or more of metapleural suture ⇒ species: Pilbara Wisp (Agriocnemis kunjina) a ↑ b ↓ ● Small black spot at upper end of metapleural suture
5		Male only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 7 of 54 ● Upper surface of superior appendage ending in short, stout tooth ○ Mature males covered in white pruinescence ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) a ↑ b ↓ ● Upper surface of superior appendage uniformly curved ○ Mature males not heavily pruinose ⇒ species: Pygmy Wisp (Agriocnemis pygmaea)
6		Female only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 8 of 54 ● Posterior lobe of pronotum reduced to low rim ⇒ species: Pygmy Wisp (Agriocnemis pygmaea) a ↑ b ↓ ● Posterior lobe of pronotum well developed
7		Female only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 9 of 54 ● Central part of posterior lobe of pronotum a broad, posterior flap, depressed in midline with, in front of it, a narrower, upright lobe ⇒ species: Tropical Wisp (Agriocnemis dobsoni) a ↑ b ↓ ● Central part of posterior lobe of pronotum, if differentiated from rest, a single, upright flap, or depressed
8		Female only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 10 of 54 ● Posterior lobe of pronotum upright, shallowly to deeply depressed in midline a ↑ b ↓ ● Central part of superior lobe of pronotum, if differentiated, a simple or trilobed flap, usually highest in midline
9		Female only (part)	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 12 of 54 ● Margins of central and lateral portions of posterior lobe of pronotum discontinuous, central portion ending behind lateral portion ○ From north-western Australia ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) a ↑ b ↓ ● Margins of central and lateral portions of posterior lobe of pronotum continuous ○ From eastern and northern Australia
10		Female only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 12 of 54 ● Margins of central and lateral portions of posterior lobe of pronotum discontinuous, central portion ending behind lateral portion ○ From north-western Australia ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea) a ↑ b ↓ ● Margins of central and lateral portions of posterior lobe of pronotum continuous ○ From eastern and northern Australia
11		Female only	Coenagrionidae: Key couplet 13 of 54 ● Central portion of posterior lobe of pronotum an upright, trilobed flap ⇒ species: Red-Rumped Wisp (Agriocnemis rubricauda) a ↑ b ↓ ● Central portion of posterior lobe scarcely differentiated from lateral portions ⇒ species: Silver Wisp (Agriocnemis argentea)