Iota Ringtail (Austrolestes io)

Iota Ringtail (Austrolestes io)

Inhabits riverine pools, lakes, ponds (including temporary ponds) and swamps

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

• Lestidae: Key couplet 1 of 15

• 
• ● Quadrilateral cell of hindwing more than 1.15 times, usually 1.3-1.5 times longer than that of forewing

• Lestidae: Key couplet 2 of 15

• 
  
• ● Front of synthorax unicolorous or striped, the stripe not expanded near centre
  ● Ac generally near Ax1, basal or distal, occasionally almost midway between Ax1 and Ax2
  
  ⇒ genus: Austrolestes

• Lestidae: Key couplet 5 of 15

• 
  
• ● Central part of pterostigma overlying one or more crossveins of adjoining row
  ● Ac closer to level of Ax1 than of Ax2, sometimes basal to Ax1
  ○ Abdominal tergum 2 with well-defined light and dark pattern, sometimes like that of dark A. insularis (see above), or substantially dark

• Lestidae: Key couplet 6 of 15

• 
• ● Pale humeral stripe narrow, with at most a small upper patch extending across mesopleural suture, not meeting subalar ridge

• Lestidae: Key couplet 8 of 15

• 
• ● Humeral stripe extending across mesopleural suture

• Lestidae: Key couplet 9 of 15

• 
• ○ Abdominal segment 10 of male pale above
  ● Dorsal dark mark on abdominal tergum 2 of female broad, divided by narrow, pale mid-dorsal line, pale lateral areas scarcely visible from above

• Lestidae: Key couplet 10 of 15

• 
• ● Median lobe of pronotum with pale lateral margin
  ● Abdominal tergum 2 of male dark above, with pale, narrow mid-dorsal line over distal third
  
  ⇒ species: Iota Ringtail (Austrolestes io)