Painted Sprite_Trop Female Close-up - Dragonflies & Damselflies of southern Africa

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Beautiful Damselflies

Chlorolestes apricans,
Amatola Malachite Male
Endemic to south Africa
Visible in a small area in the Eastern Cape
Endangered

Platycypha fitzsimmonse,
Bouder Jewel, Male
Endemic to South Africa
Prefers Rocky streams at higher altitudes

Proischnura polychromatica,
Mauve Bluet
Endemic to South Africa
Extremely rare and critically endangered

Pseudagrion newtoni,
Harlequin Sprite, Male
Endemic to South Africa
Rare and localised.

Beautiful Dragonflies

1 4020 Aethriamanta rezia Pygmy Basker P Mch 2024r 3

Aethriamanta rezia, Pygmy Basker
Not often seen. Only visible in the warm costal areas of eastern Southern Africa
Prefers Well vegetated pond

Crenigomphus hartmann, Clubbed Talontail,
Seen perching on rocks in fast flowing rivers
Females often seen some distance away from the water.

Nesciothemis farinosa, Eastern Blacktail
Hunts up and down Ponds and fast flowing streams. Often cohabit and confused with skimmers

Beautiful Dragonflies

Tetrathemis polleni,
Black-splashed Elf
Found on shady streams and pools

103 502 Ceratogomphus triceraticus Cape thorntail 6

Ceratogomphus triceraticus,
Cape Thorntail, Male
Endemic to South Africa
Inhabit flowing rock strewn streams

Diplacodes pumila
Dwarf Percher
Female
Endemic to South Africa

Trithemis hecate,
Silhouette Dropwing,
Male
Not often seen in South africa

Painted Sprite_Trop Female Close-up

Painted Sprite, Pseudagrion hageni race hageni, Blanketselgesie.

Painted Sprite_Tropicana Female Close-up, images as an identification aid for the damselfly Painted Sprite, Pseudagrion hageni, Blanketselgesie. A-group.

More Images

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More Images

Northern form (P. h. tropicanum)

100 417 Pseudagrion hageni Painted Sprite Male Lajuma Nature Reserve LP RSA Dec 2018r 7

Image Gallery

1 1553 Pseudagrion newtoni Harlequin Sprite Close Female Sabi MP SA Dec 2022r 2

Female

Southern form (P. h.hageni)

7 676 1 MG 02281

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Distribution:

Pseudagrion hageni Painted Sprite Distribution Map July 2020

South Africa
Distribution Map

South Africa Physical Map

South Africa
Physical Map

South africa political map

Political MapSouth Africa

Pseudagrio hageni Painted Sprite Distribution Map july 2021

Distribution Map
Africa

Arica Physical

Physical MapAfrica

Africa Political

Political MapAfrica

South Africa

Southern form (P. h.southern form (P. h.hageni ) occurs occurs in WCP along the coast to the ECP.
Northern form (P. h. tropicanum) occurs from central ECP northwards to East and West Africa.

Africa

Botswana; Burundi; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Republic of South Africa; Swaziland; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Further reading

Detail Description

Click HERE for the detailed species description

Websites:

Recent discovery

Microgomphus nyassicus,
Eastern Scissortail
Male
Photographed by dragonfly photographer Antoinette Snyman or the first time in southern Africa May 2019

Interesting fact

Zygonyx torridus
Ringed Cascader
Male
Hunts over rapid flowing streams close to cascad

Recently Described

Syncordulia venator,
Mahogany Presba.
Rare. Endemic to the Western Cape Region of South Africa

Beautiful

Phyllogomphus selysi.
Bold Leaftail. Male
Male Seldom seen in South Africa.
Note: Peculiar shaped clasper

Recently Revised

Orthetrum hintzi,
Dark-shouldered Skimmer
Prefers Clear water ponds with grassy verges

Recently Revised

Ceratogomphus pictus,
Common Thorntail,
Found near streams and pools

Recently Revised

Pantala flavescens, Pantala
Hunts over open water and pools

Recently Revised

Africallagma glaucum, Swamp Bluet.
Found at the edge of clear water pools