Metallic Ringtail

Austrolestes cingulatus · Order: Odonata · Family: Lestidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Metallic Ringtail
Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0

The metallic ringtail is a thin, medium-sized damselfly with green-gold or bluish-green-gold colors. Each abdominal segment has a pale ring, and the body shines with a metallic gloss.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Every abdominal segment shows a pale ring, giving the insect its “metallic ringtail” name.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

It is a thin, medium-sized damselfly.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It lives in still-water habitats like rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps and alpine bogs, often hidden in vegetation.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Adults are on the wing from October to March.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Metallic Ringtail photo 3
Photo: John Tann from Mullumbimby, Australia, CC BY 2.0
Metallic Ringtail photo 4
Photo: John Tann from Mullumbimby, Australia, CC BY 2.0
Metallic Ringtail photo 5
Photo: Elaine McDonald, CC BY

Questions people ask

When are metallic ringtails active?

They are active from October through March.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Lestidae)

Western Willow SpreadwingWestern Willow SpreadwingChalcolestes viridisSlender SpreadwingSlender SpreadwingLestes rectangularisCommon Winter DamselflyCommon Winter DamselflySympecma fuscaCommon SpreadwingCommon SpreadwingLestes sponsaGreat SpreadwingGreat SpreadwingArchilestes grandisSpotted SpreadwingSpotted SpreadwingLestes congener

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_ringtail

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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