Eastern billabongfly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern billabongfly |
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The eastern billabongfly (Austroagrion watsoni) is a type of damselfly. It belongs to the Coenagrionidae family. People sometimes call it the eastern dart. These damselflies are quite small, usually about 25 millimeters (1 inch) long. You can find them near calm water, like lakes, ponds, or slow-moving streams. They often hang out near ditches too. When male and female eastern billabongflies mate, they form a special shape that looks like a wheel.
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What Do They Look Like?
The male eastern billabongfly is very colorful. It has a bright blue body part called a thorax. This thorax also has black marks. Its long, thin tail, called an abdomen, is black with blue rings. The very tip of its tail is also blue.
The female eastern billabongfly is about the same size as the male. Her body color can be pale blue or a grayish-green. She has a stripe on her body that is a bright green. This stripe is called an antehumeral stripe.
How Do They Act?
Eastern billabongflies often rest on plants. They might sit on plants in a pond or right at the water's edge. They like to sit very close to the surface of the water. These damselflies are also quite fast flyers.
Similar Damselflies
Eastern billabongflies look a bit like other damselflies. These include the common bluetail and the blue riverdamsel. However, eastern billabongflies are smaller than these other types.
You can spot the difference by looking at their heads. Eastern billabongflies have a blue bar right behind their eyes. Common bluetails have two blue spots instead.
Also, check their tails. The tips of eastern billabongfly tails have two black squares. Common bluetail and blue riverdamsel tails are all blue at the tip.
Remember that green stripe on the female eastern billabongfly? The common bluetail has a blue stripe instead. Finally, the eyes of an eastern billabongfly are mostly one color. Common bluetails have eyes with two different colors.
Where Do They Live?
Eastern billabongflies live in many places. You can find them across northern and eastern Australia. They also live in New Guinea. Sometimes, they are found on New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean.
Images for kids
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A female eastern billabongfly
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A male eastern billabongfly
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This eastern billabongfly has a blue tail tip with two black marks
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The wings of a female eastern billabongfly
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The wings of a male eastern billabongfly
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