Overview
Austropetaliidae are a small family of aeshnid-like dragonflies, easily recognised by the series of red or reddish-brown spots along the costal border of each wing. There are three Australian species in two genera, and the family occurs elsewhere only in South America. One of the Australian species lives on streams in the sandstone uplands of New South Wales, a second in the alpine zone of NSW and Victoria above 600m, and the third on streams and boggy seepages in Tasmania. The larvae have a rather chunky aeshnid look, with the lateral margins of the abdominal segments rather rounded, where Aeshnidae larva show either a smooth outline or some backward-facing spines.