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| | Common
Flatwing - Austroargiolestes icteromelas
FAMILY
MEGAPODAGRIONIDAE
- This page contains information and pictures about Common Flatwing Damselflies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
They are also known as Australian
Flatwings.
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 - Female, body
length 43mm
- The Common Flatwings are medium in
size. Their bodies are long and slender, with a bright metallic
blue colour. When they
are at rest, unlike most other damselflies, they held out theirs wings horizontally. They
are common along small creeks in Brisbane. They usually found hiding in
shaded area.
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- They like to rest within a
few meters along the creek, in the shaded area. We sometimes find them in large group resting among
plants. They perch on leaves, fly a short distance when disturbed.
They seem do not worry on our close approach and we can take many
close-up pictures without too much trouble.
Male
 
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- They have very small antennae but
very large compound eyes.
Their mouths are very good at biting. Like all other dragonflies and damselflies,
they do not use their legs for walking but for capturing other flying insects in the air.
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Female
- Females look very similar to males sometimes a little bit smaller. Females
are with bulbous tail tip.
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- The Common Flatwings are easily found along the
Bulimba Creek and other creeks in Brisbane. We seldom see them near still
water ponds. They are usually found near slow running water. They can be found even in mid winter, while most other
dragonflies and damselflies can hardly be seen.
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- When they
are at rest, they usually held out theirs wings horizontally, but some
females sometimes rest with wings folded up.
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Mating Pair
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- The male and female look similar. The above
pictures show Common Flatwings mating in wheel position (see Mating Behavior for
more information).
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- Reference:
- 1. The Australian Dragonflies - CSIRO, Watson, Theisinger &
Abbey,1991, p162.
- 2. A
Field Guide to Dragonflies of South East Queensland - Ric Nattrass,
2006, p25
- 3. The
Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia - CSIRO, Günther
Theischinger and John Hawking, 2006, p48.
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