Identification Family represented by just two species in Victoria. Both species are quite common throughout the region and are commonly seen hawking over any waterbody, including areas that are not forested. They are also seen quite often far from water. Although the species are capable of flying very fast, they tend to 'hawk' instead, by fluttering slowly back and forth, with intermittent glides.

Hemianax papuensis is particularly simple to identify, being massive and having bright yellowish-green eyes, head and thorax. It lacks markings on the thorax but has bright orange markings along the abdomen, most noticeable near the tail tip which makes it look like it has a pale tip to the tail. Adversaeschna brevistyla is smaller but behaves similarly to H. papuensis and is usually found in any waterbody, especially where there is tall standing vegetation such as reeds or Typha.

Superficially looks like a darner (Telephlebiidae) but a few features are sufficient to rule out this family. With experience, A. brevistyla looks chunkier and shorter bodied. Most significantly, it has two thick unbroken lines running diagonally across the side of the thorax and a single thick pale line running along the side of the upper-abdomen, then a series of large spots on the side of every segment. If seen perched, males have large blue spots on the second abdominal segment (the one nearest the wings), which is a definitive characteristic.