Sydney Hawk Dragonfly
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© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Austrocordulia
- Species
- leonardi
- Family
- Austrocorduliidae
- Super Family
- Libelluloidea
- Suborder
- Epiproctophora
- Order
- Odonata
- Class
- Insecta
- Subphylum
- Uniramia
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 6 cm- 7 cm
Introduction
Despite being a Sydney species, the Sydney Hawk dragonfly was only discovered in 1974.
Identification
The Sydney Hawk is a rare, black and yellow dragonfly with clear wings.
Habitat
The Sydney Hawk lives around very slow sections of rivers with usually rocky, steep and high banks (at least on one side); and coastal, rocky river pools with cool water.
Distribution
The Sydney Hawk is known only from a small area south of Sydney near Audley and Picton.
Conservation status
The Sydney Hawk has quite specific habitat requirements, including slow-flowing water in rocky rivers with steep sides that provide shady resting areas. Unfortunately one of these habitats, a dam near Engadine and Heathcote, became a popular bathing area that began to cause car-traffic problems. So the weir forming the dam was demolished, making the area unsuitable for recreational use, and also the dragonfly. Now there are only two sites where this species can be found, and the species is considered threatened.
