Metallic ringtail | |
---|---|
male | |
female | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Suborder: | Zygoptera |
Family: | Lestidae |
Genus: | Austrolestes |
Species: | A. cingulatus |
Binomial name | |
Austrolestes cingulatus (Burmeister, 1839) |
The metallic ringtail (Austrolestes cingulatus) is an Australian damselfly in the family Lestidae, It is widely distributed in Tasmania, Victoria and eastern New South Wales. It is a thin, medium-sized damselfly with a green and gold or bluish green and gold coloration. Each abdominal segment is marked by a pale "ring"; this, combined with its glossy metallic coloration, give it its common name of metallic ringtail.
It is active through October to March in still-water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and alpine bogs, being usually found amongst vegetation.