Hemicordulia superba Tillyard, 1911

SUPERB EMERALD

Family Hemicorduliidae

Notice the pair of yellow spots on the frons of this Superb Emerald at the Bellinger River NSW on December 3rd 2013

I thought it would be fun to go paddling on the Bellinger River where it meanders along Darkwood Rd, Thora and look for dragonflies as well. I came across a different dragonfly that was patrolling up and down a section of the river next to a grassy bank. I pulled up, tied the canoe to a bush and clambered onto the bank to try my luck at photographing it. Luckily it occasionally hovered so I managed to get a few useable images.

Looking through “The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia”by Gunther Theischinger and John Hawking, it looked like the Superb Emerald and this was confirmed by the good folk at the online Ausodonata group.

A male Superb Emerald at the Bellinger River NSW on
December 3rd 2013.

A male Superb Emerald at the Bellinger River NSW on
December 3rd 2013.