Delicate Tigertail (Choristhemis olivei)

The Delicate Tigertail (Choristhemis olivei) is a dragonfly species of the family Synthemistidae, which contains 26 species in Australia.

The identification key to the family Synthemistidae consists of 26 couplets, 6 of which are pertinent to Choristhemis olivei. 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.
	Synthemistidae	Delicate Tigertail (Choristhemis olivei)	Synthemistidae: Key couplet 1 of 26 ○ Dark markings, if present, confined to basal parts of wings b ↑ Synthemistidae: Key couplet 2 of 26 ● Generally two to five crossveins in median space of all wings b ↑ Synthemistidae: Key couplet 9 of 26 ● An accessory thick antenodal in forewing in addition to the two primaries; this and the two previous alternating with thin antenodals ○ Male tergum 10 without pale dorsal cone ○ Ovipositor, if developed, not reaching beyond segment 9 b ↑ Synthemistidae: Key couplet 11 of 26 ● Anterior frons pale, or pale with black stripe, often quite broad, in midline b ↑ Synthemistidae: Key couplet 12 of 26 ○ Frons narrow ○ Membranule of both wings vestigial ● Female ovipositor well developed ⇒ genus: Choristhemis a ↑ Synthemistidae: Key couplet 13 of 26 ● Front of synthorax with large yellow patch each side, sides of synthorax with complex yellow markings ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 black ⇒ species: Delicate Tigertail (Choristhemis olivei) a ↑
1			Synthemistidae: Key couplet 1 of 26 ○ Wings with dark brown spots at nodus ⇒ species: Tasmanian Spotwing (Synthemiopsis gomphomacromioides) a ↑ b ↓ ○ Dark markings, if present, confined to basal parts of wings
2			Synthemistidae: Key couplet 2 of 26 ● Generally one crossvein in median space, sometimes two in one or two wings a ↑ b ↓ ● Generally two to five crossveins in median space of all wings
3			Synthemistidae: Key couplet 9 of 26 ● No accessory thick antenodal in forewing, only the two primaries present ● Male tergum 10 with posteriorly directed pale mid-dorsal cone ● Ovipositor reaching beyond segment 9 ⇒ genus: Synthemis a ↑ b ↓ ● An accessory thick antenodal in forewing in addition to the two primaries; this and the two previous alternating with thin antenodals ○ Male tergum 10 without pale dorsal cone ○ Ovipositor, if developed, not reaching beyond segment 9
4			Synthemistidae: Key couplet 11 of 26 ● Anterior frons metallic black ⇒ species: Royal Tigertail (Parasynthemis regina) a ↑ b ↓ ● Anterior frons pale, or pale with black stripe, often quite broad, in midline
5			Synthemistidae: Key couplet 12 of 26 ○ Frons narrow ○ Membranule of both wings vestigial ● Female ovipositor well developed ⇒ genus: Choristhemis a ↑ b ↓ ○ Frons broad ○ Membranule of both wings well developed ● Female ovipositor reduced to vulvar lamina or poorly developed ⇒ genus: Eusynthemis
6			Synthemistidae: Key couplet 13 of 26 ● Front of synthorax with large yellow patch each side, sides of synthorax with complex yellow markings ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 black ⇒ species: Delicate Tigertail (Choristhemis olivei) a ↑ b ↓ ● Front of thorax lacking large yellow patch, sides of synthorax with simple yellow markings ○ Abdominal segments 9 and 10 mainly yellow on top. ⇒ species: Yellow-Tipped Tigertail (Choristhemis flavoterminata)