Assegai Sprite, Pseudagrion (B) assegaii,  Assegaaigesie 

100 1617 Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Male Hertzogberg MP RSA Nov 2017r 3

100 1616 Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Male Hertzogberg MP RSA Nov 2017r 2

100 1613 Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Male Vaalwater LP RSA Sept 2017f 3

Family Coenagrionidae Kirby, 1890
Short description:

Assegai Sprite, Pseudagrion (B) assegaii, Assegaaigesie  is small, all bright blue and black with a spear shaped mark abdomen.

Also called Spearhead Sprite, Spear Sprite

More Images:

100 1616 Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Male Hertzogberg MP RSA Nov 2017r 2Image Gallery

100 1604 Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Male Close up Vaalwater LP RSA April 2017r 1Male

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Key identification features:

Male

  • Face is light sky blue and black with the labrum light blue with small central black spot. Anteclypeus brownish pale blue, most of thepostclypeus black. Frons is greenish blue to ble in front with a black half-moon marking above, which connects with black of top of head. Labrum whitish. Head black with isolated blue postocular spots from above. Occiput whitish green.Postocular spots pale blue-green, periform isolated.
  • Eyes are pale blue, pinkish below. Neck is black above with a blue spot on each side, blue below.
  • Thorax is black above bordered by brownish blue stripes, sharply-defined narrow black stripe present on each side.
  • Wings are clear. Pterostigmas pale brown, almost buff.
  • Abdominal Segment 1 is sky blue with black basal spot. S 2 is blue with distinct spearhead-shape black marking. The rest of abdomen is greenish light blue with black line running along top up to hind margin of s 7. Segments 8 to 10 are bright sky blue.S 10 has black mark on top in the form of an "X"

Female

  • Slightly more robust than male.
  • Very similar patterning, only the blue is replaced by reddish brown or light brown.
  • Pterostigmas also like male, very pale.
Habitat:
  • Preferred habitat is sluggish streams and pools with an abundance of lilies reeds and grasses in dry savanna.
Behaviour:
  • Usually seen sitting on lily pads, but will flit close to the water surface when disturbed. 
  • May be found in the grassy areas next to the waters edge
Compared with other species:
  • Segment 2 is shaped like a spear on P assegaii and like a round bowl flower pot with long stem on Africallagme glaucum, Swamp bluet.
  • Postacular spots on P assegaii is small, round and not linked to each other
  • On A. glaucum the postocular spots at narrow and linked.
  • Marking on S 7 in P. assegaii in open and less of a keyhole than A. glaucum only about 2/3 around the end of the segment
  • The male is related to P sudanicum The latter has a U-shapedback dorsal mark on abdomen segment 2
Distribution
Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Distribution Map July 2020 Map

Pseudagrion assegaii Assegai Sprite Distribution Map Jan 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Africa

  • Previously known  from the Limpopo Province but was recently found in western Mpumalanga (Witbank and Bronkhorstspruit).
Africa
  • Botswana; Namibia; Republic of South Africa; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Further reading:

Websites:

Reference