Ceriagrion banditum Kipping & Dijkstra, 2015
Band-eyed Citril

Type locality: Lake Chila near Mbala, Zambia

Diagnosis

Male is typical of suave-complex of genus by (a) greenish eyes with maturity; (c) rather dull orange to brown dorsa of the head and thorax; (d) uniformly orange to red abdomen; (e) apically pointed penis; (f) no toothed processes on the apical border of S10; and (g) paraprocts that do not reach beyond the cerci and have a fairly distinct angular heel ventrally. However, distinct by its (1) greater size, Hw 21.5-22.5 mm (n = 13) rather than 17.0-21.0 mm; (2) sleeker build with the wing tips reaching at most a third down the length of S6, rather than halfway or beyond, and Hw 50-51 % of full length (n = 8), versus 51-57 % in C. suave (n = 9); (3) two narrow horizontal dark bands on the eyes, which are typically lost with maturity in other species; (4) rather intermediate colour of head and thorax, i.e. neither quite uniformly orange like C. suave, nor more two-toned brown and cream with dark dots on the sutures as C. sakejii and C. junceum; (5) often distinctly reddish rather than pale brown Pt; (6) penis with finger-like lateral lobes, rather like C. bakeri; (7) apical excision on S10 being about a third as deep as the segment and bordered with tiny black denticles that appear as dark ridges; (8) cerci that in dorsal view appear narrowed and twisted distally, with the apical black tooth turned in- and base-wards, from above thus being well visible and lying almost halfway the cerci; and (9) tips of the paraprocts that typically fall clearly short of those of the cerci. [Adapted from Dijkstra, Kipping & Mézière 2015]

Habitat description

Standing and mostly temporary waters in open landscapes. Usually with emergent vegetation, like grasses. From 1000 to 1900 m above sea level.

Distribution

Map citation: Clausnitzer, V., K.-D.B. Dijkstra, R. Koch, J.-P. Boudot, W.R.T. Darwall, J. Kipping, B. Samraoui, M.J. Samways, J.P. Simaika & F. Suhling, 2012. Focus on African Freshwaters: hotspots of dragonfly diversity and conservation concern. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 129-134.

Reference

• Dijkstra, K.-D.B., Mézière, N., and Kipping, J. (2015). Sixty new dragonfly and damselfly species from Africa (Odonata). Odonatologica, 44, 447-678. [PDF file]

Citation: Dijkstra, K.-D.B (editor). African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. http://addo.adu.org.za/ [2024-10-30].