Grey flatwing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grey flatwing
Male Griseargiolestes griseus
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Megapodagrionidae
Genus:	Griseargiolestes
Species:	G. griseus
Binomial name
Griseargiolestes griseus (Hagen, 1862)
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The Grey flatwing (scientific name: Griseargiolestes griseus) is a cool type of damselfly found only in Australia. It's part of a family called Megapodagrionidae. These amazing insects are known for how they rest with their wings spread out flat.

About the Grey Flatwing

The Grey flatwing is a medium-sized damselfly. It has a shiny body that looks black-green, like metal, with lighter marks. When they get older, their bodies and tails can become covered in a powdery, pale coating. This coating is called pruinescence. It makes them look a bit frosty or dusty.

Where it Lives

This special damselfly lives only in one place: the south-eastern part of New South Wales, Australia. When an animal or plant is found only in one specific area, it is called endemic. The Grey flatwing likes to live in wet, marshy places. You can often find them near small streams, in bogs, or in areas where water slowly seeps out of the ground.

How it Behaves

One of the most interesting things about the Grey flatwing is how it rests. Unlike many other damselflies that fold their wings back over their bodies, the Grey flatwing keeps its wings spread wide open. This is a common trait for all damselflies in the Megapodagrionidae family.

Gallery

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  Female

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  Female

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  Male

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  Tip of female tail

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  Tip of male tail

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  Female wings

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  Male wings