Austrolestes minjerriba (Dune Ringtail)

This is one of the less commonly seen/photographed so-called dune species, “inhabiting brown, acidic dune lakes and swamps”. It may be telling that this is one of those species whose photograph in Theisinger/Hawking is of a dead specimen.

I consider myself lucky to have seen this at all. It was a target uncommon species on our 2019 Odonatours trip around southeast Queensland, which we found after trekking a hot couple of kilometres to Poona Lake near Rainbow Beach. I consider myself even luckier to have managed a recognizable distant shot from the shore, since the little devils remained out in some reeds and I once again suffered for having no wading gear.

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