The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia
Second Edition By: Günther Theischinger, John Hawking, Albert Orr
A comprehensive guide to the 333 species of dragonflies and damselflies found in Australia.
Dragonflies and damselflies are conspicuous insects: many are large and brightly coloured. They are also valuable indicators of environmental wellbeing. A detailed knowledge of the dragonfly fauna is therefore an important basis for decisions about environmental protection and management. + Full description
This comprehensive guide to the Australian dragonfly fauna covers eight families of dragonflies and 10 families of damselflies, comprising the 113 genera and 333 species found in Australia. It has been updated with newly identified species and revised family names to reflect new world consensus systematics. Stunning full-colour images and distribution maps are accompanied by identification keys for adults as well as larvae, which are often used as bait for freshwater fish.
This second edition of The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia also includes illustrations by Albert Orr, one of the most renowned dragonfly illustrators. The extraordinary diversity of dragonflies will interest entomologists and amateur naturalists alike.
- Short descriptionNews
Read more on our blog:
We chatted with Günther Theischinger about his passion for dragonflies and damselflies, as well as some of his favourite stories from the field: Discovering Dragonflies with Günther Theischinger
Reviews
"These [Albert Orr] plates alone will help to increase appreciation of our remarkable and largely endemic Odonata, and endorse awareness of their diversity and their values as flagship taxa and tools in evaluating the quality of Australia’s inland water ecosystems."
Tim R. New, Journal of Insect Conservation Vol 25, May 2021
"This is a well written and extremely cohesive book that wellillustrates all of our Odonata in one book, allowing an easy to read and comprehend book. This makes identification of even the hardest damselflies, so much easier."
Andrew Wallace, Western Australian Naturalists' Club, 23 May 2021
"This a superb book, a work of scientific distinction and a handsome volume to own and browse."
Roger Kitching, Metamorphosis Australia Issue 101, 2021
"We are very lucky in Australia to have such a book covering all of our species, with a wealth of information to enable identification of the majority of dragonflies and damselflies seen or photographed. The photograph and map updates, and line drawings, represent a huge amount of work."
Irene Denton, Society for Insect Studies Inc. Circular No. 212, August 2021
"[A] high quality publication... [and] a must for my ever-expanding field guide collection."
Todd Burrows, Land for Wildlife South East Queensland 15(4), November 2021
Details
Paperback | March 2021 | $ 49.99ISBN: 9781486313747 | 424 pages | 215 x 148 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour photographs, Illustrations, Maps
ePDF | March 2021
ISBN: 9781486313754
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers
ePUB | March 2021
ISBN: 9781486313761
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers
Features
- Fully revised text, with updates to family names to match new world consensus systematics
- Includes newly established taxa, as well as at least five new species and several reclassified species/genera
- Provides identification keys for both adults and larvae
- Includes distribution maps and stunning colour photographs
- Features illustrations by renowned dragonfly illustrator Albert Orr
Contents
Foreword to first editionForeword to second edition
Preface and acknowledgments to first edition
Preface and acknowledgments to second edition
Introduction
Species guide
- Zygoptera (Damselflies)
- Anisoptera (Dragonflies proper)
Identification of adults
Identification of larvae
Studying dragonflies
Checklist of species
References and further reading
Index of scientific names
Index of common names
View the full table of contents (PDF, 210 KB)
Authors
Günther Theischinger has had a lifelong interest in aquatic insects. He has published more than 300 scientific papers, and over the years has described more than 60 new species and several new genera of Australian dragonflies. He has been a visiting scientist at the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra, and is a Research Associate of the Australian Museum and a Visiting Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, USA.
John Hawking is an Honorary Research Fellow at La Trobe University and former invertebrate ecologist at the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Wodonga. He studied the ecology of dragonfly larvae for his Master’s degree and has since published greatly on their ecology, taxonomy and conservation.
Albert Orr is a professional entomologist, writer, illustrator, consultant and scientific editor. He is a retired lecturer in ecology and invertebrate zoology, still actively researching. His main expertise is with butterflies, moths and dragonflies.
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