Western Darner (Austroaeschna anacantha)

The Western Darner (Austroaeschna anacantha) is a dragonfly species of the family Telephlebiidae and Brachytronidae, which contains 37 species in Australia.

The identification key to the family Telephlebiidae and Brachytronidae consists of 37 couplets, 10 of which are pertinent to Austroaeschna anacantha. Click on the numbers on the right to display the corresponding couplets. Or click on the ALLin1 button to see all the relevant couplets together in a single, scrollable window.

#	Family	Species	Couplet No.
	Telephlebiidae and Brachytronidae	Western Darner (Austroaeschna anacantha)	Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 1 of 37 ● No crossveins in median space b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 9 of 37 ○ Wings hyaline ● Two to four, occasionally five, cells in triangles and hypertriangles b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 11 of 37 ● Both wings with a single supplementary radial vein (Rspl) ● Posterior angle of hindwing triangle and 1A joined by a short crossvein b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 12 of 37 ● Male with three or fewer, or without, distinct longitudinal dorsal ridges on segment 10 ○ Anal appendages of female shorter than to slightly longer than segment 10 ● Supra-anal plate rounded to subtriangular ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna and Dromaeschna a ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 13 of 37 ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 and anal appendages largely dark brown or black b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 14 of 37 ● Front of synthorax with one or two pale stripes over virtually the entire length on each side, or pale patches with or without a long pale stripe ● Abdominal terga 3-8 either lacking basal pale marks, or with both basal and central or distal marks ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna and Dromaeschna b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 17 of 37 ● Side of synthorax with either unequal, pale stripes or pale patches on a dark background b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 18 of 37 ● Top of frons black with pair of pale spots isolated from pale patch at side of anterior frons by broad to tenuous black band a ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 19 of 37 ● Only upper part of anterior frons black b ↑ Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 27 of 37 ● Three small pale marks on mesepimeron ● Mesokatepisternum dark brown to black ○ Legs black with small yellow marks near bases of tibiae ⇒ species: Western Darner (Austroaeschna anacantha) a ↑
1			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 1 of 37 ● Crossveins present in median space a ↑ b ↓ ● No crossveins in median space
2			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 9 of 37 ○ Wings with dark band just behind anterior margin ● Six to twelve cells in triangles and hypertriangles ⇒ genus: Austrophlebia a ↑ b ↓ ○ Wings hyaline ● Two to four, occasionally five, cells in triangles and hypertriangles
3			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 11 of 37 ● Both wings with two supplementary radial veins (Rspl1 and Rspl2) ● Posterior angle of hindwing triangle meeting 1A ⇒ species: Thylacine Darner (Acanthaeschna victoria) a ↑ b ↓ ● Both wings with a single supplementary radial vein (Rspl) ● Posterior angle of hindwing triangle and 1A joined by a short crossvein
4			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 12 of 37 ● Male with three or fewer, or without, distinct longitudinal dorsal ridges on segment 10 ○ Anal appendages of female shorter than to slightly longer than segment 10 ● Supra-anal plate rounded to subtriangular ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna and Dromaeschna a ↑ b ↓ ● Male with five distinct longitudinal dorsal ridges on segment 10 ○ Anal appendages of female at least twice as long as segment 10 (sometimes broken, thus appearing short) ● Supra-anal plate ending in long prominent spine
5			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 13 of 37 ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 and anal appendages bright ochreous or rusty red-brown ○ Synthorax dark brown with jade green markings, all but last abdominal segments dark brown and ochreous ⇒ species: Ochre-Tipped Darner (Dromaeschna weiskei) a ↑ b ↓ ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 and anal appendages largely dark brown or black
6			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 14 of 37 ● Synthorax in front of mesopleural suture with a single yellow or yellowish green stripe over virtually its entire length on each side and, commonly, a small spot of the same colour beside it, near its upper end ● Abdominal terga 3-8 (male) or 3-7 (female) with one pair of pale spots, widely separated at base of segment ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna a ↑ b ↓ ● Front of synthorax with one or two pale stripes over virtually the entire length on each side, or pale patches with or without a long pale stripe ● Abdominal terga 3-8 either lacking basal pale marks, or with both basal and central or distal marks ⇒ genus: Austroaeschna and Dromaeschna
7			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 17 of 37 ● Side of synthorax with three long, brown stripes of approximately equal width, one on mesopleural suture, one on line of intersegmental suture and one on metapleural suture, the intervening stripes green ⇒ species: Green-Striped Darner (Dromaeschna forcipata) a ↑ b ↓ ● Side of synthorax with either unequal, pale stripes or pale patches on a dark background
8			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 18 of 37 ● Top of frons black with pair of pale spots isolated from pale patch at side of anterior frons by broad to tenuous black band a ↑ b ↓ ● Top of frons dark brown to black in centre and along anterior and posterior margins, otherwise pale, broadly continuous with pale lateral patch at side of anterior frons
9			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 19 of 37 ● Anterior frons black or dark brown, pale at sides a ↑ b ↓ ● Only upper part of anterior frons black
10			Telephlebiidae: Key couplet 27 of 37 ● Three small pale marks on mesepimeron ● Mesokatepisternum dark brown to black ○ Legs black with small yellow marks near bases of tibiae ⇒ species: Western Darner (Austroaeschna anacantha) a ↑ b ↓ ● A curved, pale band on upper mesepimeron ● Mesokatepisternum brown with distinct yellow patch ○ A subapical yellow mark on meso- and metafemur ⇒ species: Swamp Darner (Austroaeschna parvistigma)