Pseudagrion (A) sarepi Kipping & Dijkstra, 2015
Sarep Sprite

Type locality: Longa River, Cuito Cuanavale, Angola

Diagnosis

Male is similar to P. fisheri and P. greeni by (a) the uniformly orange labrum; (b) the inner border of the cerci lacking a basal tooth or toothed flange in dorsal view; (c) the upper branch of cerci being longer than the lower; and (d) the paraprocts that are more than half as long as the cerci. However, (1) is distinctly smaller, Hw 18.0-21.0 mm (mean 19.2 mm; n = 10), compared to both P. fisheri (21.0-23.5 mm; mean 22.3 mm; n = 14) and P. greeni (21.0-23.0 mm; mean 22.0 mm; n = 22); (2) with maturity the dorsa of the head and thorax are wholly dark, rather than with tiny postocular spots and continuous though narrow antehumeral stripes as in both other species; (3) S8-9 are dorsally wholly blue like in P. greeni, not entirely dark like all other segments as in P. fisheri; and (4) the upper branch of the cerci is small and in lateral view reaches about as far as the rather deep lower branch as in P. fisheri, rather than being huge and reaching far beyond the small lower branch as in P. greeni. [Adapted from Dijkstra, Kipping & Mézière 2015]

Habitat description

Rivers in open landscapes. Mostly with a sandy bottom and often emergent and aquatic vegetation. From 1100 to 1400 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.

Citation: Dijkstra, K.-D.B (editor). African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. http://addo.adu.org.za/ [2024-10-31].