Austrogomphus angelorum - Murray River Hunter

Male identification: A dainty yellow and black dragonfly with and narrow yellow inter-segmental rings and a prominent yellow mid-dorsal line along the top of the abdomen except for the last two segments which are mostly black. When viewed from the side, the final segment has a prominent yellow spot near its base. Upper thorax with antehumeral continuous with collar. Humeral stripe separate and divided, in some individuals, with a spot near the base of the wings. Access to images of specimens presently precludes any assessment of markings on the side of the thorax. Appears to have a wholly yellow face. Male anal appendages parallel and narrowing abruptly at the end to form pin-like tips.

Female identification: Undocumented

Similar species: The mid-dorsal abdominal stripe should be obvious in the field and makes this species superficially similar to cornutus, ochraceous, A. guerini and australis. The latter three species are the most likely to overlap in range and habitat. Only guerini is similar in having a wholly yellow face. Australis, which is most likely to occur on the Murray River to the west of Yarrawonga, has a very distinct yellow tail tip (black in angelorum). Ochraceous has a distinctly black and yellow face, is more heavily spotted on the thorax and also on the top of the final segments of the abdomen, which is not the case in angelorum.

Behaviour: No information at present

Distribution: Recorded from the Murray River in NSW near Corowa and just across the border in SA north east of Renmark in the first half of the century. Not formally recorded in Victoria but probably occurred.

Australian State distribution (from CSIRO Entomology)

Habitat: Mature slow-flowing parts of the Murray river, possibly in association with convolutions that create a network of wetlands, billabongs and oxbow lakes.

Status: No records for 50 years. May be extinct in the Corowa area but still possible in the northeast of the state, which is very poorly sampled.

Flight period: No information at present