Austrogomphus (Austrogomphus) collaris (Hagen, 1854)

WESTERN INLAND HUNTER

Family Gomphidae

This is an endemic dragonfly of Western Australia.

A male Western Inland Hunter at the edge of Margaret River, Western Australia on February 12th 2014.

A male Western Inland Hunter on a log in the Margaret River Western Australia on February 12th 2014.

On 12th of February 2014 I was able to visit the Margaret River area, famous for its wines in Western Australia. Margaret River itself was more like a creek than a river but we discovered that it had a dam on it a little way upstream. As my companions were not keen to go any further I didn’t see what the river was like upstream from the dam. However, in the short section that we walked along I managed to see 2 endemic dragonflies and one endemic Flatwing damselfly.

The first dragonfly which was perched on a log in the river had the wide apart eyes and clubbed tail typical of the family Gomphidae. This dragonfly - a Western Inland Hunter - flew closer and landed at the edge of the river. Unfortunately someone came along and scared it off before I could get all the photos I would have liked. C’est la vie!

The anal appendages and markings on the abdomen of a male Western Inland.