Slender ringtail
species of insect
The slender ringtail (Austrolestes analis) is an Australian damselfly in the family Lestidae. It is characterized by having a relatively slender body compared to other species in the genus.
Taxonomy
The slender ringtail was first described by Jules Pierre Rambur in 1862.
Description
The abdomen is 3-3.2 cm long. Mature males are often pale blue and black although the strength of the blue may vary. Distinguished from other Austrolestes by the pattern on the upper thorax, most closely resembling that of Austrolestes aridus.
Distribution and habitat
It is found in south-western Western Australia, south-eastern South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.
It is active through Spring to Autumn near lakes, slow flowing rivers and nearby vegetation.
Etymology
The genus name Austrolestes combines the prefix austro- (from Latin auster, meaning “south wind”, hence “southern”) with Lestes, a genus name derived from Greek λῃστής (lēstēs, “robber”).
The species name analis is Latin for "of the anus", likely referring to features of the anal region.
“Slender ringtail” enters the record as species of insect. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Slender, ringtail and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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“Slender ringtail” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Slender, ringtail and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2051632. The first chronological checks are 1862.
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This entry incorporates text from “Slender ringtail” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.