Dragonflies of the Soutpansberg
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DRAGONFLIES 43 DRAGONFLIES W. Tarboton Sourcesofinformation Family Lestidae Spreadwings Lestes plagiatus Highland Spreadwing To my knowledge there has been no comprehensive or systematic assessment of the dragonfly fauna of the Sout- Lestes virgatus Smoky Spreadwing pansberg. Van Son, Pinhey and others have done some Family Protoneuridae Pinflies collecting here, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s. From this, Elattoneura glauca Common Threadtail a total of 52 species from the Soutpansberg are repre- sented in South African museum collections and these are Family Platycnemididae Stream-Damsels listed below. Allocnemis leucosticta Goldtail Summarystatistics Family Coenagrionidae Sprites Ceriagrion glabrum CommonOrange This list of 52 species, comprising about a third of the known South African dragonfly fauna (which totals 159 Pseudagrion commoniae nigerrimum BlackSprite species), would undoubtedly be increased — perhaps by Pseudagrion hageni Hagen’sSprite another 30–40 species — if a dedicated dragonfly survey Pseudagrion hamoni Hamon’s Sprite of the area were to be undertaken. Given the area’s close Pseudagrion kersteni Kersten’s Sprite proximity to Zimbabwe, it is likely that one or more spe- Pseudagrion makabusiense Makabusi Sprite cies new for the South African list will be found here (e.g. Actoneura biordinata), and it is not inconceivable, given Pseudagrion massaicum MasaiSprite the mountain range’s relative isolation, that species new Pseudagrion salisburyense SalisburySprite to science could be discovered here as well. Pseudagrion spernatum NatalSprite Pseudagrion sublacteum Cherry-EyeSprite As it stands the list includes two species that are endemic Ischnura senegalensis Bluetail to South Africa (Aeshna subpupillata, Allocnemis leucosticta) and three that are listed in the recently pub- Africallagma glaucum Swamp Bluet lished dragonfly Red Data list (Aeshna ellioti — vulnera- Agriocnemis exilis Little Whisp ble; Chlorolestes elegans — vulnerable; Pseudagrion SuborderAnisoptera(Dragonflies) makabusiense — critical). Family Gomphidae Clubtails Majorstudiesandpublications Ictinogomphus ferox Tigertail Ceratogomphus pictus Common Thorntail Not listed. Paragomphus cognatus Rock Hooktail Recommendationsforprioritystudies Paragomphus elpidius Corkscrew Hooktail requiredtofillanygapsidentified Paragomphus genei Green Hooktail Not listed. Family Aeshnidae Hawkers Aeshna elioti Eliot’sHawker “Hotspots”ofparticularimportance Aeshna subpupillata StreamHawker Anax ephippiger VagrantEmperor Not known. Anax imperator BlueEmperor Annex1.Listofdragonflyspeciesknown Anax speratus OrangeEmperor fromtheSoutpansberg Family Cordulidae Emeralds OrderODONATA Phylloacromia picta DartingCruiser SuborderZygoptera(Damselflies) Family Llibellulidae Skimmers Family Calopterygidae Demoiselles Orthetrum abbotti Abbott’sSkimmer Phaon iridipennis GlisteningDemoiselle Orthetrum chrysostigma EpauletSkimmer Orthetrum julia JuliaSkimmer Family Chlorocyphidae Jewels Orthetrum machadoi Machado’s Skimmer Platycypha caligata DancingJewel Orthetrum trinacria LongSkimmer Family Synlestidae Malachites Nesciothemis farinosa Black-TailedSkimmer Chlorolestes elegans ElegantMalachite Palpopleura jucunda Yellow-VeinedWidow Chlorolestes fasciatus MountainMalachite Palpopleura lucia StLuciaWidow 44 DRAGONFLIES Crocothemis erythraea BroadScarlet Trithemis kirbyi ardens Kirby’s Dropwing Crocothemis sanguinolenta LittleScarlet Trithemis pluvialis River Dropwing Brachythemis leucosticta BandedGroundling Trithemis stictica Jaunty Dropwing Sympetrum fonscolombii Nomad Zygonyx natalensis Blue Cascader Zygonyx torridus Ringed Cascader Trithemis arteriosa Red-Veined Dropwing Tramea basilare KeyholeGlider Trithemis donaldsoni Donaldson’s Dropwing Trithemis furva Navy Dropwing.