Southern Banded Groundling, Brachythemis leucosticta, Gebande Grondwagter.

100 2004 Male RNR GP RSA Jan 2016r 1

100 1979 Farmstay RSA Dec 2017r 1

100 1732 Female Welgevonden RSA Dec 2017r 1

Short description:

Southern Banded Groundling, Brachythemis leucosticta is medium sized, black-bodied with unmistakable black bands on each wing and yellowish pterostigmas.

Also known as the Banded Groundling

Family Libellulidae Leach, 1815

More images:

100 2004 Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Jan 2016r 1Image Gallery
100 1993 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 1Male
100 1981 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling RNR GP RSA Nov 2016r 2Female
100 2873 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Female Close up Ezemvelo GP RSA Nov 2019r 1Female
 
  

Click on all images to enlarge or view mare

Guides:

A Guide to Identify Groundlings (Genus Brachythemis)

Key identification features:

Male: 100 2004 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Jan 2016r 1

  • Face brownish. Labrum, anteclypeus and postclypeus mostly dark brown with some paler areas. 100 1996 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 7
  • Front of frons and top of head shiny black and dimpled, side of frons light grey with central black spot.100 1995 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 5
  • Eyes mostly brownish black with some grey below. Upper eye has distinctive brown stripes 100 1996 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 7
  • Thorax all charcoal.
  • Wings each with wide black band between nodus and pterostigma, runs from front margin to hind margin, appears brownish when viewed from certain angles. Pterostigmas pale yellow, brown towards outer edge, becoming deeper brown with age.
  • Abdomen charcoal.
  • Young males similar to females. Develops band on wings before thorax and abdomen darkens to charcoal grey

Female: 100 1732 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Female Welgevonden RSA Dec 2017r 1

  • Eyes are brownish grey with dark and light brown stripes on top and grey below 100 1996 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 7  100 2877 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Female Close up Ezemvelo GP RSA Nov 2019r 10  100 2878 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Female Close up Ezemvelo GP RSA Nov 2019r 12
  • Thorax blotched (mottled) with brown (light and dark) marks . Blotching tends to be well defined when young 100 1994 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 3 Yellow becoming dark mustard colour  with age
  • Yellowish pterostigmas (diagnostic), dark brown in outer quarter.Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Female Close up Ezemvelo GP RSA Nov 2019
  • Abdomen is yellow with dark stripes along top and sides.(Diagnostic) 100 1998 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Oct 2016r 9
  • Young male are similar to females but will develop the black wing marks with age The abdomen change to dark after the black wing marks becomes visible.
Note:
Habitat:
  • Frequents pools, small dams and waterholes in open or savanna areas. Such pools may be without water weed or fringing vegetation. Females and young Males my be found some distance away from the water in open areas
  • From 0 to 2100 m above sea level, but mostly between 1000 and 1500.
Behaviour:
  • Hawks from the ground (preferred) or from vegetation in, near or away from the water.
  • Inconspicuous on the ground but easily observed when disturbed.
  • Will follow an observer or animals, hawking on prey disturbed by the animals or observers.
  • Often found in large numbers.
Compared with other species:
  • Mature males are unmistakable due to the wing markings.
  • The yellow pterostigmas is diagnostic for the Banded Groundling.
  • Females and young males may be mistaken for some Dropwing species as well as the Banded Duskdarter, Parazyxomma flavicans
  • Female similar to female Red Groundling (B. lacustris) except on (B. lacustris) the lateral abdomen stripe is light brown and thorax less defined mottled
Learn more about Groundlings species

100 2356 Brachythemis lacustris Red Groundling Male Nwanedi LP RSA Dec 2018r 14Red Groundling,
Brachythemis lacustris

Brachythemis wilsoni Swamp GroundlingSwamp GroundlingBrachythemis wilsoni
Image by Jens Kipping

Brachythemis impartita Northern Banded GroundlingNorthern Banded GroundlingBrachythemis impartita
Image by Jean-Pierre Boudot

100 2004 Brachythemis leucosticta Banded Groundling Male RNR GP RSA Jan 2016r 1Southern Banded Groundling
Brachythemis leucosticta

 

 

Distribution 
, Distribution Map, May 2020Distribution Map
South Africa
Political MapPolitical Map
Topographical Map South Africa Topographical Map
Brachythemis leucosticta Southern Banded Groundling Distribution Map Mch 2021Distribution Map Africa
Africa PoliticalPolitical Map
Topographical Map AfricaTopographical Map

South Africa:

  • Found in the warm northern and eastern areas of South Africa.

Africa:

  • Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ethiopia; Gambia; Ghana; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Republic of South Africa; Rwanda; Senegal; Somalia; Swaziland; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe; NOT yet confirmed: Côte d'Ivoire; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo-Brazzaville; Equatorial Guinea; Guinee-Bissau; Mali; Mauritania; Nigeria; Republic of Guinea; South Sudan; Sudan
Further reading:

Websites:

Citation: