Giant petaltail facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giant petaltail
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Petaluridae
Genus:	Petalura
Species:	P. ingentissima
Binomial name
Petalura ingentissima Tillyard, 1908
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The giant petaltail (Petalura ingentissima) is an amazing insect. It is known as one of the largest dragonflies in the world! You can find this huge dragonfly flying around in Queensland, Australia.

Meet the Giant Petaltail

This incredible dragonfly was first described in 1908 by Dr. R.J. Tillyard. Its scientific name, Petalura ingentissima, comes from the Latin word ingens. This word means "huge," which perfectly describes this giant insect! It is one of five special types of dragonflies found only in Australia, belonging to the group called Petalura.

What Does It Look Like?

The giant petaltail is a very big and strong dragonfly. Its body is mostly black with some bright yellow spots. Imagine a dragonfly with a wingspan of about 160 mm! That's about the length of a regular pencil.

Female giant petaltails can have wings that stretch up to 162 mm wide. Their bodies can be as long as 125 mm. This makes them the largest dragonfly species when you look at their overall size.

Life in the Water

The young giant petaltails are called larvae. They are quite unusual! These larvae live in burrows, which are like small tunnels, along the edges of rivers. They measure about 5.9 to 6.3 cm long.

From their burrows, they wait patiently. When other small creatures pass by, the larvae quickly grab them. This is how they hunt for their food.

Gallery

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  Female wings

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  Male wings