Acacia Sprite, Pseudagrion acaciae, Akasiagesie. B-group

101 063 Young Male Limpopo River Musina LP RSA December 2012Male

102 018 P Sprite Ndumo 2018 03 15 Male youngYoung Male

102 018 Ndumo KZN RSA 2018 03 15 femaleFemale

Short Description:

Acacia Sprite, Pseudagrion acaciae, Akasiagesie is medium sized with a rusty face and thorax with green postocular spots and diagnostic markings on segment 8-10 of the abdomen.

Family Coenagrionidae Kirby, 1890
More images:
100 173 Male Old Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018 Image Gallery
100 199 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close UP Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 3 Male
100 210 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 3Male
100 187 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Close up2 Female Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 3Female
1 1387 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Fem1 Close Ndumo Mch 2024r 2Female Old
1 1397 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Fem Close Ndumo Mch 2024r 2Female Old 1

 Click on all images to enlarge or view more

Key identification features:

Male:100 199 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close UP Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 3

  • Head is rusty red in front, distinctly light green behind from above. 100 202 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close UP Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 12Greenish yellow very large postocular spots.100 203 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close UP Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 17 Back of head as a distinctly light green with black line. 100 214 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 13
  • Eyes are orange red in front, greenish blue behind, 100 213 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 9 dark brown cap present on the back half100 214 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 13. Neck is bluish green with black half ring. 100 203 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close UP Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 17 The ring has a greenish yellow V-shape mark with dots either side The V-shape is similar to the pattern on S 2.
  • Thorax dorsal carina is black. Thorax is rusty orange-red above, antehumeral stripes are black. Light greenish blue at sides and below.100 210 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 3
  • Wings are clear. Light blue dot shaped markings between the wings. Pterostigmas are reddish brown.
  • Abdomen segment 1 has black square pattern with two short light green lengthwise stripes.100 211 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 5 The black square is surrounded by light green. S 1 is light blue ring with a black elliptical pattern with two blue spots inside the black mark. S 2 has distinct green stripe ending in a V-pattern at the thorax side. 2 to 7 lime green with black dorsal lines and black rings. S 8 and 9 have bright blue hat like shaped marking (May be rings on young males).100 215 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 15 100 216 Pseudagrion acaciae Acacia Sprite Male Close up Ndumo KZN RSA Mch 2018r 16
  • Lower claspers are shorter than upper claspers with lower clasper distinctly turned upwards.

Females:

  • Dull brown and black.
  • Eyes are greenish brown on top with two lines around eye in the top part. Light brown postocular spots ringed by black line in front and becoming dotted behind.
  • Neck and prothorax have very distinct flat V-shaped lines. Sides of thorax are light greenish blue becoming light brown with age.Dorsal carina is black edged by thin yellow band. Middorsal thorax stripes are tawny brown. Antihumeral stripes are black.
  • Abdominal segments split are black with black triangular shaped marks at end of segment, becoming larger toward s 10. Doral black line becomes broader towards s 10.
Compared with other species:
  • Distinguished by the large green (female pale brown) postocular spots are very distinctive.
  • Blue hat-like oval shaped markings on s 8-9.
  • Claspers are very distinctive.
  • P massaicum is similar but with different postocular spots and abdominal markings.
Habitat:
  • Prefers rivers in open landscapes, but sometimes shaded by gallery forest. It can be found in shady areas away from the water, sometimes on the high river bank.
  • From 0 to 1300 m above sea level, but mostly below 1100, although possibly up to 2300.
Behaviour:
  • Male and female often at same location. Feeds on lice and other insect by flitting among the grass and small brush. Picking food of the leaves or catching prey in flight.
Compared with other species:
  • Distinguished by the large green (female pale brown) postocular spots are very distinctive.
  • Blue hat-like oval shaped markings on s 8-9.
  • Claspers are very distinctive.
  • P massaicum is similar but with different postocular spots and abdominal markings.
  • P. sjoestedti, Variable Sprite is similar by the face usually reddish, sometimes yellow, postocular spots and antehumeral stripes often present. The S8-9 both usually distinctly marked with black apically, sometimes pruinose. Differs by the apical black on S8-9 normally restricted to dorsum, rather than extending ventrally to sides
Distribution 
Distribution Map July 2020 Map
Political Map South Africa Political Map
Topographical Map South Africa Topographical Map
Pseudagrion acaciae afrAfrica
Political Map AfricaPolitical Map
Topographical Map AfricaTopographical Map Africa

 South Africa:

  • Limpopo valley, Mpumalanga and northern KZN.

Africa:

  •  Angola; Botswana; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Republic of South Africa; Tanzania; Zambia; Zimbabwe;
Further reading

Websites of interest