H. australiae is undoubtedly widespread in Australia. It is likely also present in New Zealand, together with parts of Indonesia and a few other Australian Islands, but some of its observations may actually have been of a very similar related species, Hemicordulia armstrongi, recently recognized and documented in a 2019 paper by Rowe. Our single 2017 encounter in New Zealand actually appeared to be H. armstrongi.
My 2019 trip to Queensland produced frequent observations of the real H. australiae, where I got a lot of practice snagging it in flight. They settle only occasionally. None of these encounters appear to have been H. armstrongi. I’ve included a poor shot of a female because one difference of these two sibling species is said to be the wings of the female, being hyaline in H. armstrongi. but tinted in H. australiae.
I did worse in FNQ 2022 but I’ve included one for the record.
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| in flight | |
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| female |
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