Austroaeschna anacantha is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Aeshnidae, known as the western darner. It is found in south-western Australia, where it inhabits rivers and streams.
Austroaeschna anacantha is a medium-sized to large dark dragonfly with pale markings. It appears similar to the multi-spotted darner, Austroaeschna multipunctata, which occurs in eastern Australia.
Etymology The genus name Austroaeschna combines the prefix austro- (from Latin auster, meaning “south wind”, hence “southern”) with Aeshna, a genus of dragonflies.
The species name anacantha is derived from Greek ἀν- (an-, "without") and ἄκανθα (akantha, "thorn"), referring to the absence of a large dorsal spine on segment 10 of the male, present in related species such as Austroaeschna parvistigma and Austroaeschna multipunctata.
Gallery
See also List of dragonflies of Australia
References