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KorinneM wrote:

11 Aug 2024

@JanHartog I spent quite a long time comparing against both A. obscura and A. multipunctata. It's hard, I will agree, to differentiate with teh one angle and it unfortunately being a further away shot.

The defining feature is "Anterodorsal spots on abdominal terga 3 and 4 generally much reduced or absent, and on 5-7, lacking". vs for multipunctata: "Anterodorsal spots on abdominal terga 3 and 4 generally well
developed, and on 5-7, usually detectable"

To me, there's some hints of maybe 'reflections' in those spots on 6 and 7 and that's it. 4 there's maybe a reflection, or maybe it's something just greatly reduced from the size of 3, which fits more with obscura.

The terga numbering of the abdomenal sections is listed here: http://azdragonfly.org/external-anatomy.

To get an idea of what I'm looking at, compare multipunctata: Austroaeschna multipunctata (Multi-spotted Darner) and obscura: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/202008587 looking at those abdomenal segements. The top view is the easiest to pick it up first.

Is there reasons you're thinking multipunctata?

Austroaeschna obscura

JanHartog wrote:

11 Aug 2024

I'm not convinced this is an Austroaeschna obscura. On the basis of which characteristics did you come to this conclusion?

Austroaeschna obscura

JanHartog wrote:

9 Aug 2024

I've added a new photo.

Austroaeschna obscura

KorinneM wrote:

8 Aug 2024

I'm not confident to distinguish between A. obscura and A. multipunctata from that photo. Both could potentially be in this location. I'm leaning towards A. obscura.

Austroaeschna obscura

Curiosity wrote:

28 Apr 2024

Thanks for the extra images. They give me a better feel for body colours. I think this ant could be Myrmecia tarsata.

Myrmecia tarsata