Austroaeschna obscura

Sydney Mountain Darner (Austroaeschna obscura)

Inhabits rivers, streams, temporary streams and streams that dry to pools

© 2011 DECCW, NSW; 2021 Ian Endersby and DragonflyPix.com

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 1 of 37

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• ● No crossveins in median space

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 9 of 37

• 
• ○ Wings hyaline
  ● Two to four, occasionally five, cells in triangles and hypertriangles

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 11 of 37

• 
• ● Both wings with a single supplementary radial vein (Rspl)
  ● Posterior angle of hindwing triangle and 1A joined by a short crossvein

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 12 of 37

• 
• ● Male with three or fewer, or without, distinct longitudinal dorsal ridges on segment 10
  ○ Anal appendages of female shorter than to slightly longer than segment 10
  ● Supra-anal plate rounded to subtriangular
  
  ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna and Dromaeschna

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 13 of 37

• ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 and anal appendages largely dark brown or black

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 14 of 37

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• ● Front of synthorax with one or two pale stripes over virtually the entire length on each side, or pale patches with or without a long pale stripe
  ● Abdominal terga 3-8 either lacking basal pale marks, or with both basal and central or distal marks
  
  ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna and Dromaeschna

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 17 of 37

• 
• ● Side of synthorax with either unequal, pale stripes or pale patches on a dark background

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 18 of 37

• 
• ● Top of frons black with pair of pale spots isolated from pale patch at side of anterior frons by broad to tenuous black band

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 19 of 37

• 
• ● Anterior frons black or dark brown, pale at sides

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 20 of 37

• ○ Meso- and metafemur reddish brown, with or without black tip

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 23 of 37

• 
• ● Antehumeral stripes reduced to short, narrow, slightly curved lines and small patches

• Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 25 of 37

• 
• ● Anterodorsal spots on abdominal terga 3 and 4 generally much reduced or absent, and on 5-7, lacking
  
  ⇒ species: Sydney Mountain Darner (Austroaeschna obscura)