Red Rockdweller, Bradinopyga strachani, Rooiwegkruipertjie

123 504 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Angola 2

123 507 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Angola 6

 

123 504 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Angola 2

Short description:

Red Rockdweller, Bradinopyga strachani, Rooiwegkruipertjie is medium-sized, mottled grey, brown and greyish yellow thorax with a bright red abdomen with slight brown markings and red  appendages dragonfly

Family Libellulidae Leach, 1815
More images: 

123 505 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Angola 10Image Gallery

100 3187 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 11Male

100 3196 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 1Female

 

 

 

 

 

 Click on all images to enlarge or vie more

Key identification features:

Male

  • Face is brown with the labrum light grey Brownish grey lip..100 3191 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 18 Frons very rounded brown without horns. Frontal shields dark brown with greyish white antifrons. Vertex very high, dark brown on top. . 100 3190 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 16
  • Eyes are dark brown above grey brown becoming light grey brown below below.  100 3191 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 18  . 100 3190 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 16
  • Thorax mottled brown with  white / brown undefined spots.100 3185 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 7  pinkish spots at hind margin when mature. Dorsal carina has well defined antealarsinus ("shark fin" shaped protrusion)   100 3187 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 11100 3189 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 15   
  • Wings are long, smokey. tips without a narrowly brown; band   100 3194 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 27
  • Abdomen ed with creamy  mottled markings becoming almost red when mature with the mottle marks becoming feint..  100 3193 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 23   100 3194 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Male Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 27  Red appendages

Female:   100 3196 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 1

  • Very similar to male,   100 3196 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 1
  • Head brown creamy and grey   100 3201 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 16   100 3200 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 13   100 3202 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 17
  • Thorax brown with creamy mottled marks   100 3197 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 6   100 3198 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 9   100 3199 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 12
  • Wings slightly smoky without distinct darkening wingtips.   100 3205 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 21   
  •  Abdomen brown/pink. Creamy white patches on S7 with smaller less distinct patches on S 4 - 6 100 3203 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 18 100 3204 Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Female Close up Angola LP RSA May 2019r 19    Abdomen stouter than Male 
Compared with other species:
  • The mottled colouring and the light patch on s 7 is unmistakable.
  • The horn like protrusions on the frons and vertex is very clear to see.
  • Bradinopyga strachani differs by having a rounded frons without horns, Wings clear rather than narrowly tipped brown. Abdomen red with maturity, rather than mottled brown.
Habitat:
  • Standing and mostly temporary waters in open landscapes, but sometimes in open areas in forest.
  • Often with bare banks and a hard (like rocky) bottom.
  • From 0 to 1600 m above sea level, but mostly below 600, although possibly up to 2100.
Behaviour:
  • Settles on bare rocky outcrops and domes where the males are easily seen due the red abdomen. Females well camouflaged 
  • Extremely alert, and flies off rapidly when disturbed and usually returning later.
  • Females usually with or near males. 
Compared with other species:
  • The mottled colouring and the light patch on s 7 is unmistakable.
  • The horn like protrusions on the frons and vertex is very clear to see.
  • Bradinopyga strachani differs by having a rounded frons without horns, Wings clear rather than narrowly tipped brown. Abdomen ed with maturity, rather than mottled brown.
Distribution

Bradinopyga strachani Red Rockdweller Distribution Map Dec 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Africa 

  • Benin; Burkina Faso; Côte d'Ivoire; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Ghana; Guinee-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Mali; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; South Sudan; Sudan; Togo; Uganda
Further reading

Websites: