Hemicordulia tau

Tau Emerald at Berry, NSW

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Identification history

Petalura gigantea	28 Sep 2020	Username279
Hemicordulia tau	28 Sep 2020	HarveyPerkins
Hemicordulia tau	28 Sep 2020	HarveyPerkins
Unidentified	28 Sep 2020	Username279

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User's notes

Looked pretty meaty

10 comments

Username279 wrote:

28 Sep 2020

I’d have to say nope, looks a lot bigger

CBrandis wrote:

28 Sep 2020

Poor photo but there appears to be a yellow diagonal stripe from the wing base to the legs and a yellow band across the face.

Username279 wrote:

28 Sep 2020

Would like to go look for it but, some muppet is doing a Reno, the noise is unbearable

HarveyPerkins wrote:

28 Sep 2020

I'd have to say nope - no way it's a Petalura. But I do agree it's a very poor photo to have to work with. In response to CB's notes: Many dragonflies have yellow diagonal stripes like that (e.g. Blue-spotted Hawker, Forest Darner, cascade darners) - comes with the territory of the angle of the thoracic segments. But I'd also make the point that the individual in this record has what I'd describe as darker bands through what is otherwise a yellowish thorax rather than yellow stripes per se. But if you look at a bright, freshly-emerged Tau Emerald, it can have quite yellow markings that I'd say are not at odds with what is visible in this photo. Re the yellow "band" across the face - I'd say the entire face is yellowish, with what I'd interpret as a darker inverted "T" towards the top - as per a Tau Emerald. The other thing I looked at to suggest Tau Emerald was the gradation in colour from the proximal abdominal segments which are quite yellowish, to a darker distal end to the abdomen, and, if I really squint and increase the size of the photo, can argue that you can just make out the yellow side patches, diminishing in size. The eyes are also relatively light brownish, not dark. I can't make any real comment on size, but given it's on a rose bush, I see nothing to suggest it does not fit with a Tau Emerald in size.
The other thing that argues very strongly against Petalura is that they are generally recorded through mid-summer and anything earlier than November would be fairly exceptional. Late September is unheard of (according to ALA records).
As we know, a Petalura would be a very significant sighting. Chris, I thought there was a recent record submitted, I thought from up near Berry, that is no longer up. What is the story there? And I also note that the only record now on BCNM is a 2008 record of yours from Morton NP that has no supporting photo, but used instead a photo from Penrose SF.

CBrandis wrote:

28 Sep 2020

Was 2018 Harvey, 2008 may be from the Penrose photo that I had edited back to the sighting date. We saw it flying along the track at Little Forest walk and noted the size, petals on the tail and the orange spot between them. This should be inconclusive.

Username279 wrote:

28 Sep 2020

Or u could believe the person who actually saw it, that’s a thing.

CBrandis wrote:

29 Sep 2020

That is not how science works 279.

Username279 wrote:

29 Sep 2020

U think i give a stuff about science? Try explaining dark matter to somebody, the bible is more believable.

CBrandis wrote:

30 Sep 2020

Dark matter explains the missing mass in the universe and is only postulated by science until there is proof agreed to by other scientists (most anyhow) or another theory that is more acceptable. Cheers

Username279 wrote:

30 Sep 2020

Good , now I can finally get of this site run by chimps

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