Austrophlebia costalis (Tillyard, 1907)

SOUTHERN GIANT DARNER

Family Telephlebiidae

A Southern Giant Darner at Dorrigo NSW. Photographed by Carol Deane in November 2005.

The Southern Giant Darner is a huge Dragonfly and purported to be one of the fastest insects on the planet. Tillyard in 1917 timed one flying downhill at 98km/hr using a stop watch. In 1953 Hocking timed one over flat ground flying at 57.9km/hr. (Book of Insect Records - University of Florida) It is no wonder that it is so difficult to photograph.

Carole Deane of Dorrigo has kindly allowed me to use her photograph of a Southern Giant Darner that she found on their property at Dorrigo.

Trev and Carol have a great Butterfly Site called Butterflies of a Dorrigo Garden. http://butterfliesdorrigo.weebly.com/