Amatola Malachite (Chlorolestes apricans)

Amatola Malachite, Chlorolestes apricans, Amatolamalagiet

Amatola Malachite, Chlorolestes apricans121 003 IMG 0179

121 002 IMG 0071 Amatola Malachite, Chlorolestes apricans

121 004 IMG 0172 Amatola Malachite, Chlorolestes apricans

Short description:

Amatola Malachite, Chlorolestes apricans, Amatolamalagiet is medium-sized, with striking, metallic green to copper body with white pruinescent patches on prothorax and synthorax between wing bases. Wings can be clear or banded (Blueish white with brown towards the outside).The smallest Malachite found in South Africa.

Also called Basking Malachite

Family Synlestidae Tillyard, 1917.

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Female

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Key identification features:

Male:

Length 34- 36-38mm ♂; 35--37-38mm ♀;wingspan 43-45-46mm ♂;Pterostigmas 1.7-1.8-2.0mm
Face is all shiny, metallic green to gold or copper, but genae and center of anteclypeus dull yellow. Labrum metallic green.
Eyes are light to dark brown above, light greyish blue below.
Prothorax (behind the head), between the wings, and first segment of abdomen develops heavy whitish pruinescence. Thorax is metallic green to gold or copper above, deep yellow to sienna below. Prominent parts of dorsal surface of synthorax between wings are markedly pruinescent whitish-grey.
Wings are usually strongly banded black and white, but sometimes clear to slightly smoky.
Pterostigmas are yellowish buff, slightly darker on the inside, darkening to all brown with age .Mono-coloured
Abdomen is bright metallic green with fine yellow rings at the start of each segment. S1 above and S8-10 above strongly pruinescent.

Female:

Very similar to male, but wing bases are lightly pruinescent. S1 and s 8 pruinescent, and s 9-10 heavily whitish pruinescent.

Habitat:

Inhabits clear, shallow, rocky streams with riffles and glides and with an abundance of long grass, herbs and indigenous overhanging bushes (used as oviposition sites).
From 600 to 1400 m above sea level, but possibly up to 1900.

Behaviour:

Reluctant flyer, usually seen perching on grass stems or reeds over the edge of streams in full sunshine.

Compared with other species:

Chlorolestes apricans is the smallest of all Chlorolestes species
The only other Chlorolestes species in Amatola-Winterberg region of South Africa are C. fasciatus (Mountain malachite) and C. tessellatus (Forrest Malachite), both of which also have banded wings in the ECP, but both species are much larger (more than 50 mm long).
C. apricans and C. fasciatus can be in the same habitat (open, sunny, grassy streams), C. tessellatus, (in forest), but are separated on shape of hind margin of s 10 and on appendages.
The only other small Chlorolestes species is C. umbratus (White Malachite), of the southern Cape coastal area, which has a very pruinescent synthorax and, in side view, hooked superior appendages. Labrum is metallic green, in both male and female C. apricans, but black in male and female C. umbratus.

Distribution:

South Africa:

Endemic to South Africa and highly endangered due to habitat destruction.