Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine)

The Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine) is a damselfly species of the family Megapodagrionidae, which contains 22 species in Australia.

The identification key to the family Megapodagrionidae consists of 31 couplets, 14 of which are pertinent to Austroargiolestes christine. 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.
	Megapodagrionidae	Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine)	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 1 of 31 ○ Smaller, with abdomen shorter than 42 mm, hindwings shorter than 35 mm ● Fewer than 27 postnodals b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 2 of 31 ● Generally three or more cells, rarely two in discoidal field between discoidal cell and level of subnodus ● Male superior anal appendages with ventral spur ⇒ genus: Austroargiolestes a ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 3 of 31 ● Anterior frons, clypeus and labrum dark greenish brown to black b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 6 of 31 ● Median part to much of front of synthorax dark brown to black with pale to yellowish brown humeral stripe on each side, sometimes pruinescent b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 7 of 31 ● Humeral stripe not widened at upper end b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 9 of 31 ● Superior anal appendages with ventral spur not visible from above b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 12 of 31 ● Distal end of inner marginal ridge of superior appendages rounded, or continuing into inner ridge of ventral spur b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 13 of 31 ● Inferior anal appendages, viewed from below, broad, blunt, rounded apically ⇒ species: Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine) a ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 14 of 31 ● Median part to much of front of synthorax dark brown to black, with pale to red-brown humeral stripe on each side, sometimes pruinescent b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 15 of 31 ● Pale stripe in front of mesopleural suture constricted near upper end, then broadened at tip, not obscured by pruinescence a ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 17 of 31 ● Outer face of mandible largely pale b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 18 of 31 ● Uppermost point of mesanepisternal part of humeral stripe at mesopleural suture, the upper part of stripe thus appearing acutely tapered ● Sometimes obscured by pruinescence b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 20 of 31 ○ Ratio between length of hindwing and length of metafemur approximately 4.3 (range 4.0-4.6) ○ Mature adults with front of synthorax strongly pruinescent b ↑ Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 21 of 31 ○ Pterostigma of mature adults black ○ North-eastern New South Wales (north of Hunter River) ⇒ species: Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine) b ↑
1			Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 1 of 31 ○ Large, with abdomen longer than 42 mm ○ hindwings longer than 40 mm ● More than 27 postnodals ⇒ species: Treehole Flatwing (Podopteryx selysi) a ↑ b ↓ ○ Smaller, with abdomen shorter than 42 mm, hindwings shorter than 35 mm ● Fewer than 27 postnodals
2			Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 2 of 31 ● Generally three or more cells, rarely two in discoidal field between discoidal cell and level of subnodus ● Male superior anal appendages with ventral spur ⇒ genus: Austroargiolestes a ↑ b ↓ ● Generally two, sometimes three, cells in discoidal field between discoidal cell and level of subnodus ● Male superior anal appendage without ventral spur
3			Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 3 of 31 ● Anterior frons and postclypeus largely pale, yellowish or reddish orange a ↑ b ↓ ● Anterior frons, clypeus and labrum dark greenish brown to black
4		Male only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 6 of 31 ● Front of synthorax almost completely pale, yellow to orange, not pruinescent ⇒ species: Golden Flatwing (Austroargiolestes chrysoides) a ↑ b ↓ ● Median part to much of front of synthorax dark brown to black with pale to yellowish brown humeral stripe on each side, sometimes pruinescent
5		Male only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 7 of 31 ● Humeral stripe constricted near upper end, then broadened at tip a ↑ b ↓ ● Humeral stripe not widened at upper end
6		Male only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 9 of 31 ● Superior anal appendages with tip of ventral spur visible from above a ↑ b ↓ ● Superior anal appendages with ventral spur not visible from above
7		Male only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 12 of 31 ● Distal end of inner marginal ridge of superior appendages ending in sharp point above ventral spur ⇒ species: Powdered Flatwing (Austroargiolestes calcaris) (some) a ↑ b ↓ ● Distal end of inner marginal ridge of superior appendages rounded, or continuing into inner ridge of ventral spur
8		Male only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 13 of 31 ● Inferior anal appendages, viewed from below, broad, blunt, rounded apically ⇒ species: Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine) a ↑ b ↓ ● Inferior anal appendages, viewed from below, almost triangular with sharply pointed tips ⇒ species: Common Flatwing (Austroargiolestes icteromelas)
9		Female only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 14 of 31 ● Front of synthorax almost completely pale yellow to white ⇒ species: Golden Flatwing (Austroargiolestes chrysoides) (possibly teneral specimens) a ↑ b ↓ ● Median part to much of front of synthorax dark brown to black, with pale to red-brown humeral stripe on each side, sometimes pruinescent
10		Female only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 15 of 31 ● Pale stripe in front of mesopleural suture constricted near upper end, then broadened at tip, not obscured by pruinescence a ↑ b ↓ ● Pale stripe in front of mesopleural suture not widened at tip, its inner margin commonly converging on mesopleural suture, sometimes obscured by pruinescence
11		Female only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 17 of 31 ● Outer face of mandible very dark brown to black ⇒ species: Azure Flatwing (Austroargiolestes elke) a ↑ b ↓ ● Outer face of mandible largely pale
12		Female only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 18 of 31 ● Uppermost point of mesanepisternal part of humeral stripe not at mesopleural suture, so that upper end of stripe appears peaked or truncate ● Not pruinescent ⇒ species: Golden Flatwing (Austroargiolestes chrysoides) a ↑ b ↓ ● Uppermost point of mesanepisternal part of humeral stripe at mesopleural suture, the upper part of stripe thus appearing acutely tapered ● Sometimes obscured by pruinescence
13		Female only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 20 of 31 ○ Ratio between length of hindwing and length of metafemur approximately 5.0 (range 4.5 to 5.5) ○ Front of synthorax never strongly pruinescent ⇒ species: Common Flatwing (Austroargiolestes icteromelas) a ↑ b ↓ ○ Ratio between length of hindwing and length of metafemur approximately 4.3 (range 4.0-4.6) ○ Mature adults with front of synthorax strongly pruinescent
14		Female only	Megapodagrionidae: Key couplet 21 of 31 ○ Pterostigma of mature adults brown to black ○ South-eastern New South Wales (south of Hunter River), Victoria ⇒ species: Powdered Flatwing (Austroargiolestes calcaris) a ↑ b ↓ ○ Pterostigma of mature adults black ○ North-eastern New South Wales (north of Hunter River) ⇒ species: Milky Flatwing (Austroargiolestes christine)