Aciagrion fragile is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae,[3] commonly known as a blue slim.[4] It is a small, slender damselfly, the male is blue and black.[4] It has been recorded from northern Australia, New Guinea and the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia,[5] where it inhabits still waters and swamps.[6]

Blue slim
Male, north Queensland
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Aciagrion
Species:
A. fragile
Binomial name
Aciagrion fragile
(Tillyard, 1906)[2]

Etymology edit

The species name fragile is a Latin word meaning fragile, or easily broken. In 1906, Robin Tillyard named this species probably in contrast to other members of the genus Ischnura, where it had been provisionally placed.[7][8] While the name was originally spelled "fragilis", the ICZN mandates that species names that are adjectival must agree in gender with the genus name, so when this species was moved to the genus Aciagrion, which is neuter in grammatical gender, the spelling of the species name changed to fragile.[3]

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Kalkman, V. (2009). "Aciagrion fragile". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T163931A5669237. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T163931A5669237.en.
  2. ^ Tillyard, R.J. (1906). "New Australian species of the family Agrionidae (Neuroptera: Odonata)". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 31: 177–194 [186] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. ^ a b "Species Aciagrion fragile (Tillyard, 1906)". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Theischinger, Günther; Hawking, John (2006). The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. Collingwood, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-64309-073-6.
  5. ^ Watson, J.A.L.; Theischinger, G.; Abbey, H.M. (1991). The Australian Dragonflies: A Guide to the Identification, Distributions and Habitats of Australian Odonata. Melbourne: CSIRO. ISBN 0643051368.
  6. ^ Theischinger, Gunther; Endersby, Ian (2009). Identification Guide to the Australian Odonata (PDF). Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW. p. 188. ISBN 978-1-74232-475-3.
  7. ^ Endersby, Ian; Fliedner, Heinrich (2015). The Naming of Australia's Dragonflies. Eltham, Victoria, Australia: Busybird Publishing. ISBN 9781925260625.
  8. ^ Endersby, Ian (2012). "Etymology of the Dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) named by R.J. Tillyard, F.R.S." Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 134: 1–16.