| Austrogomphus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Austrogomphus guerini | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Gomphidae |
| Genus: | Austrogomphus Selys, 185412 |
| Subgenera34 | |
| |
Austrogomphus is a genus of dragonflies in the family Gomphidae,5 endemic to Australia.6 Species of Austrogomphus are tiny to medium-sized dragonflies, black in colour with yellowish markings.7 They are commonly known as hunters.
Species
The genus Austrogomphus includes the following species8 in two subgenera:4
Subgenus Austrogomphus
- Austrogomphus angelorum Tillyard, 1913 - Murray River hunter
- Austrogomphus arbustorum Tillyard, 1906 - toothed hunter
- Austrogomphus australis Dale in Selys, 1854 - inland hunter
- Austrogomphus collaris Hagen in Selys, 1854 - western inland hunter
- Austrogomphus cornutus Watson, 1991 - unicorn hunter
- Austrogomphus doddi Tillyard, 1909 - northern river hunter
- Austrogomphus guerini (Rambur, 1842) - yellow-striped hunter
- Austrogomphus mjobergi Sjöstedt, 1917 - pimple-headed hunter
- Austrogomphus mouldsorum Theischinger, 1999 - Kimberley hunter
- Austrogomphus ochraceus (Selys, 1869) - jade hunter
- Austrogomphus pusillus Sjöstedt, 1917 - tiny hunter
Subgenus Pleiogomphus
- Austrogomphus (Pleiogomphus) amphiclitus (Selys, 1873) - pale hunter
- Austrogomphus (Pleiogomphus) bifurcatus Tillyard, 1909 - dark hunter
- Austrogomphus (Pleiogomphus) divaricatus Watson, 1991 - fork hunter
- Austrogomphus (Pleiogomphus) prasinus Tillyard, 1906 - lemon-tipped hunter
Recently the following species were moved from the genus Austrogomphus to Austroepigomphus:8
- Austroepigomphus praeruptus (Selys, 1857) - twinspot hunter
- Austroepigomphus gordoni Watson, 1962 - western red hunter
- Austroepigomphus turneri Martin, 1901 - flame-tipped hunter
Etymology
The genus name Austrogomphus combines the prefix austro- (from Latin auster, meaning “south wind”, hence “southern”) with Gomphus, a genus name derived from Greek γόμφος (gomphos, “peg” or “nail”), alluding to the clubbed shape of the abdomen in males. The name refers to a southern representative of that group.9
References
References
- Selys-Longchamps, E. (1854). Monographie des caloptérygines (in French). Brussels and Leipzig: C. Muquardt. p. 430. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.60461 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- Selys-Longchamps, E. (1854). "Synopsis des Gomphines". Bulletin de la Classe des Science, Académie Royale de Belgique (in French). 21 (7): 23–112 [63] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- Watson, J.A.L. (1991). "The Australian Gomphidae (Odonata)". Invertebrate Taxonomy. 5: 289-441 [337]. doi:10.1071/IT9910289 – via CSIRO publishing.
- "Names list for Austrogomphus Selys, 1854". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- "Genus Austrogomphus Selys, 1854". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- Watson, J.A.L.; Theischinger, G.; Abbey, H.M. (1991). The Australian Dragonflies: A Guide to the Identification, Distributions and Habitats of Australian Odonata. Melbourne: CSIRO. ISBN 0643051368.
- Günther Theischinger; John Hawking (2006). The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-09073-8.
- Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- Endersby, Ian; Fliedner, Heinrich (2015). The Naming of Australia's Dragonflies. Eltham, Victoria, Australia: Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925260625.