Blue ringtail

Blue ringtail
Male, Tasmania, Australia
Female, Tasmania, Australia
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)1
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Lestidae
Genus:	Austrolestes
Species:	A. annulosus
Binomial name
Austrolestes annulosus (Selys, 1862)2
Synonyms3
Lestes annulosa Selys, 1862

The blue ringtail (Austrolestes annulosus) is an Australian damselfly.¹ It is found on most of the continent.

The blue ringtail was first described by Edmond de Sélys Longchamps in 1862.⁴

The abdomen is 3 cm long.⁵ It can easily be confused with Austrocoenagrion lyelli or Caliagrion billinghursti, but can be differentiated through dorsal patterns. They are a thin, medium-sized damselfly with varying coloration, which depends on maturity and temperature. However most are a striking blue with minimal black markings. Females are slightly more robust than males, and have a black and white/pale blue coloration.

It is widely distributed in most of Australia, except for the northern and north-eastern parts.⁴ It is active through September to April in still water bodies such as riverine pools, lakes and ponds, including temporary pools.

The genus name Austrolestes combines the prefix austro- (from Latin auster, meaning “south wind”, hence “southern”) with Lestes, a genus name derived from Greek λῃστής (lēstēs, “robber”).⁶

The species name annulosus is derived from the Latin annulus ("ring") and the suffix -osus ("abounding in"), referring to the broad ring on the second abdominal segment.⁷

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  Male
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  Mating pair
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  Female wings
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  Male wings