Family AESHNIDAE

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Family AESHNIDAE

Hawkers, Southern Darners

Compiler and date details

W.W.K. Houston, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, ACT, Australia J.A.L. Watson, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia Updated (1999) by A.A. Calder, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Introduction

The Aeshnidae is a large, cosmopolitan family with 14 Australian genera, and 50 Australian species. The fauna is well documented. Tillyard (1916) provided a comprehensive revision, with descriptions of larvae. Gynacantha sp. "n" of Watson (1974) has been described as G. nourlangie by Theischinger & Watson (1991). Hawking & Theischinger (1999) give an illustrated key to the three species of aeshnid larvae found in New South Wales. Following Theischinger et al. (2021) families Brachytonidae and Telephlebiidae have been synonymised with an enlarged Aeshnidae family.

The correct (and original) spelling Aeshna differs from that of the stem form in derivative names, '-aeschna'. Illiger (1801) amended Fabricius' spelling (of 1775) to Aeschna (Anon. 1801), to make it of Greek form, was unjustified (see below, under Aeshna). Aeschna, however, has always been used as the stem in derivative names.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Günther Theischinger for providing data and for checking the manuscript; the many colleagues and librarians for assistance with literature; and Dr A. Moffatt for advice on classical languages. We also wish to thank Dr B.J. Richardson and Dr D.W. Walton of the Bureau of Flora and Fauna for editorial advice; and Ha Diep for prompt and competent typing. Preparation of the Odonata section of the Catalogue was assisted by a grant from the Australian Biological Resources Study to W.W.K.H., without which the work would not have been possible. J.A.L.W. & W.W.K.H.

Diagnosis

Adult: eyes confluent; primary antenodal crossveins strongly differentiated, secondary antenodals not necessarily aligned; median space free or crossed; triangular spaces closely similar in fore and hind wing, triangles elongate along wing axis; anal loop small, well defined; base of hindwing strongly angulated to rounded in male, auricles correspondingly well developed to absent; ovipositor complete, endophytic.

Larva: prementum flat, lying below head when closed, often elongate, usually lacking setae; premental ligula convex with median cleft; labial palps narrow with end-hook; palpal setae absent or present; no spine at base of movable hook, dorsal surface setose; antennae 7-segmented; no distal tibial spurs or hooks; abdomen very elongate; sharp lateral spines on some segments, including segment 9; mid-dorsal spines absent; epiproct bifid (Hawking & Theischinger 1999).