Nighthawk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nighthawk
Scientific classification

The nighthawk (scientific name: Apocordulia macrops) is a special type of dragonfly. It lives only in eastern Australia, especially around the Murray-Darling Basin. This dragonfly is the only species in its group, called Apocordulia.

Meet the Nighthawk Dragonfly

The nighthawk dragonfly is a medium-sized insect. It has a dull color and very large eyes. Unlike many other dragonflies, it prefers to fly at dawn and dusk. You can find these dragonflies near inland rivers.

Where Does It Live?

The nighthawk dragonfly is endemic to the Murray-Darling Basin. This means it is found naturally only in this specific area of eastern Australia. It likes to live near rivers and other water sources.

What's a Genus and Species?

In science, animals are grouped together. A genus is a group of very similar animals. A species is a specific type of animal within that group. The nighthawk dragonfly is the only species in its genus, Apocordulia. This is called a monotypic genus.

What's in a Name?

The scientific names of animals often tell us something about them.

The Name Apocordulia

The name Apocordulia comes from two Greek words. Apo means "from" or "away." Cordulia is another group of dragonflies. The scientist Tony Watson named this dragonfly Apocordulia because it looked different from the typical Cordulia dragonflies.

The Name macrops

The species name macrops also comes from Greek words. Makros means "long," and ops means "eye." This name describes the nighthawk's large eyes, which have a long seam where they meet.

Nighthawk Dragonfly Gallery

• 

  Female Apocordulia macrops wings

• 

  Male Apocordulia macrops wings

Dragonfly Family Tree

Scientists group animals into families based on how they are related. For the nighthawk dragonfly, scientists have different ideas about which family it belongs to.

• Some think it's part of the Austrocorduliidae family.
• Others believe it belongs to the Synthemistidae family.
• And some suggest it's in the Corduliidae family.

This shows that science is always learning new things!