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Dragonfly

Guide to New Zealand's freshwater invertebrates

Dragonfly ( Corduliidae : Procordulia )

Abdomen more tapered than in Hemicordulia
Labial palps with distinct “teeth”

Diagnostic features

Procordulia dragonfly larvae have a longer abdomen than Hemicordulia as the abdomen tapers more gradually towards the end. The abdomen has 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

Procordulia larvae are more common than Hemicordulia south of the Waikato. They are found in ponds, lakes and slow flowing streams.

Feeding

They are predators, feeding on other stream invertebrates.

Indicator value

Procordulia 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 6 (hard bottom sites) and 3.8 (soft bottom sites).