Bug FAQBlue Ringtail
Austrolestes annulosus · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae
The blue ringtail is a thin, medium-sized damselfly that is usually bright blue with few black marks; females are a bit sturdier and show black and white or pale-blue tones. It lives across most of Australia, except the far north and north-east, and is seen from September to April near still water such as pools, lakes, ponds and temporary pools.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males are striking blue with minimal black markings, while females are slightly more robust and display black and white or pale-blue coloration.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The abdomen measures about 3 cm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from September through April.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs on most of the Australian continent. It is absent from the northern and north-eastern parts of Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be mistaken for Austrocoenagrion lyelli or Caliagrion billinghursti, but differs in its dorsal pattern.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What habitats do blue ringtails prefer?
They live near still water such as river pools, lakes, ponds and temporary pools.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ringtail
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.