Zandvlei Trust

Zandvlei Inventory and Monitoring Programme   (ZIMP)

Biotic – Insects

Dragonflies and Damselflies.

Common Thorntail (Ceratogomphus pictus) wingspan about 60mm. Thorax yellowish green with thin black bands. Abdomen yellow dorsally with black lateral markings.

Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) wingspan about 80mm, orange yellow (gold) colour.

Red-veined Dropwing (Trithemis arteriosa) inmature male and females are yellow or dull orange. Has black lateral markings on the abodomen.

Common Pond Damsel (Ceriagron glabrum) wingspan 45mm males red or orange, females olive brown.

Small Scarlet Dragonfly (Crocothemis sanguineolenta) males have scarlet wing spot and females yellowish. Medium sized wingspan 52mm.


photograph by Ann Koeslag

Painted Sprite Damselfly (Pseudagrian hageni)  Fairly common in summer near streams and pools. 

Swamp Bluet Damselfly (Africallagma glaucum) Males sky blue blue green or black. Underside of male uniform sky blue. Smallish 35mm wingspan, a poor flyer.

Julia skimmer Dragonfly (Orthetrum julia caicola) Rests with its wings forward. Medium sized about with a 60mm wingspan.

This is a Friendly Hawker Dragonfly (Aesha miniscula). See the birth sequence of this dragonfly.
It will take a while to load - it is worth a look.

Blue Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) a very large dragonfly with a wingspan of more than 100mm.  It preys on other dragonflies and its nymphs prey on tadpoles and small fish.

                                                                                                             

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