Pseudagrion (A) aguessei Pinhey, 1964
Aguesse's Sprite

Type locality: Kamabai, Sierra Leone

Diagnosis

Male is similar to P. kibalense by (a) face greenish to blue-violet, turning dark with age or preservation; (b) postocular spots bluish, occiput black; (c) postclypeus all black; (d) thorax sides bluish, almost lacking interpleural stripe, or pruinose with maturity; (e) entire dorsum of S7 black, rarely with small apical marking (in which case antehumeral stripe often half as wide as mesepisternum); (f) cerci with lower branch not bent inwards but in line with upper branch lower branch bearing flange that ends with 1-2 teeth near base; (g) cerci with single tooth at basal end of flange. However, differs by (1) occurring at savanna streams from South Sudan to W Africa; (2) antehumeral stripe narrower than half-width mesepisternum; (3) interpleural and metapleural stripes more similar, but obscured by white pruinosity with maturity; (4) flange of cerci with blunt, rather than acute tooth at basal end. [Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014; this diagnosis not yet verified by author]

Habitat description

Not known well, but probably rivers or streams shaded by gallery forest. Probably often with emergent vegetation. Inferred to occur from 200 to 600 m above sea level.

Distribution

confirmed: Benin; Mali; Sierra Leone; South Sudan

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

  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1964). Some new Odonata from West Africa. Bulletin Institut francais Afrique noire, 26, 1144-1153. [PDF file]

Citation: Dijkstra, K.-D.B (editor). African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. http://addo.adu.org.za/ [2024-03-19].