Pseudagrion (A) kersteni (Gerstäcker, 1869)
Powder-faced Sprite

Synonyms:

  • scientific: P. williamsi Pinhey, 1964
  • vernacular: Kersten's S.

Type locality: Mbaramu, Tanzania

Diagnosis

Male is similar to P. inconspicuum by (a) frons, often head and/or thorax, and Abd usually pruinose; (b) thorax extensively black, usually with distinct (sometimes pruinose) antehumeral stripes; (c) legs usually at least broadly marked with black. Tarsal claws with small hook or notch beside main hook; (d) cerci long, at least 1.5x as long as paraprocts, lower branch (usually) distinctly longer than upper, gap usually prominent, flange absent, small and/or more parallel to axis; (e) cerci without separate internal tooth near base, although basal end of flange on lower branch may be angled or toothed (dorsal view); (f) paraprocts pointed and up-turned. However, differs by (1) widespread on open streams; (2) larger size, Hw 20-24 mm; (3) labrum all black rather than green to blue. [Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014; this diagnosis not yet verified by author]

Habitat description

Mostly streams, but also rivers and possibly headwaters, in open landscapes and sometimes open areas in forest or shaded by gallery forest. Usually with emergent vegetation and often a soft (like muddy) bottom. From 0 to 2300 m above sea level, but mostly below 1600.

Distribution

confirmed: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mali; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Republic of South Africa; Rwanda; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe; NOT confirmed: Burundi; Côte d'Ivoire


Male © Hans-Joachim Clausnitzer


Appendages (dorsal view)

Appendages (lateral view)

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.


Barcode specimen(s):


Male; Tanzania, Tanga Region, East Usambara Mts © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Male; Tanzania, Tanga Region, East Usambara Mts © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Male; Democratic Republic of Congo, Katanga, © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, male; Angola, Uige Province, new campus site and environs © Clausnitzer, V. & Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, male; Angola, Uige Province, new campus site and environs © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, male; South Africa, Western Cape, Stettynskloof © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, male; Zimbabwe, Manicaland, below Vumba Mts, Essex Valley © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, male; Zimbabwe, Manicaland, Vumba Mts © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.


Adult, male; Zimbabwe, Manicaland, Mt Selinda-Chipinge road © Dijkstra, K.-D.B.

References

  • Gerstäcker, A. (1869). Archiv Naturgeschichte, 35, 201-223.
  • Consiglio, C. (1978). Odonata collected in ethopia by the expeditions of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 375, 27-51. [PDF file]
  • Longfield, C. (1931). A list of the Odonata of British Somaliland and a description of a new species of the genus Enallagma. Entomologist, 64, 274-278. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1961). Dragonflies (Odonata) of Central Africa. Occasional Papers Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, 1-97. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1966). Check-list of dragonflies (Odonata) from Malawi, with description of a new Teinobasis Kirby. Arnoldia, 2, 1-24. [PDF file]
  • Barnard, K.H. (1937). Notes on dragon-flies (Odonata) of the S. W. Cape with descriptions of the nymphs and of new species. Annals South African Museum, 32, 169-260. [PDF file]
  • Ris, F., and Schmidt, E. (1936). Die Pseudagrion-Arten des kontinentalen Afrika. (Insecta, Odonata). Abhandlungen Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, 433, 1-68. [PDF file]
  • Longfield, C. (1959). The Odonata of N. Angola. Part II. Publicacoes culturais Companhia Diamantes Angola, 45, 13-42. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1967). Odonata Zygoptera. Exploration Hydrobiologique Bassin Lac Bangweolo Luapula, 14, 1-43. [PDF file]
  • Pinhey, E. C. G. (1971) Odonata collected in Republique Centre-Africaine by R. Pujol. Arnoldia 5 (18): 1-16 [PDF file]
  • D' Andrea, M. Carfi, S. (1997) Nuove raccolte di odonati del Camerun con note su Agriocnemis maclachlani Selys, 1877 edescrizione di Agriocnemis dissimilis sp. nov. e Trithemis osvaldae sp. nov. Atti Societa italiana Scienze naturali 136 (2): 157-190 [PDF file]

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