Hemicordulia australiae (Rambur, 1842)

AUSTRALIAN EMERALD

Family Hemicorduliidae

A male Australian Emerald flying over the Bielsdown River at Dorrigo NSW on December 17th 2013.

The Australian Emerald is a widespread species which can be found all around Australia.
Australian Emerald dragonflies often cruise up and down dams and other small water bodies as well as
over creeks and rivers. They rarely rest. As a consequence I have more in flight than static photographs of this species!

A male Australian Emerald at Deer Vale NSW on January 21st 2012

A female Australian Emerald in NSW on October 11th 2010.

The Australian Emerald looks very similar to the Tau Emerald - Hemicordulia tau. The mature Australian Emerald has beautiful green eyes whereas the mature Tau Emerald has paler, mainly cream and red-brown eyes. Young emeralds usually have brownish eyes. The Tau Emerald also has a distinctive black T mark on the yellow frons of its face.

The Australian Emerald has the yellow lateral markings on the 7th abdominal segment extending anteriorly so that they almost meet dorsally but the 7th abdominal segment of the Tau Emerald looks mostly black-green from on top.