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Dragonfly

Guide to New Zealand's freshwater invertebrates

Dragonfly ( Corduliidae : Hemicordulia )

Abdomen appears shortened, not tapered
Labial palps with distinct “teeth”

Diagnostic features

Hemicordulia dragonfly larvae have a wide abdomen that appears to end abruptly (rather than gradually tapering to a point). There are no obvious spines along the midline of the dorsal (top) surface. The labial palps (jaw-like structures used to grab prey) cover much of the “face” and have distinct “teeth”.

Typical habitats

Hemicordulia larvae are most common in the North Island. They are found in ponds, lakes and slow flowing streams.

Feeding

They are predators, feeding on other stream invertebrates.

Indicator value

Hemicordulia can be found in streams and ponds with a wide range of water quality, and therefore they probably have little value as water quality indicators. They have medium to low tolerance values of 5 (hard bottom sites) and 0.4 (soft bottom sites).