Chlorolestes draconicus

Chlorolestes draconicus
Male
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Suborder:	Zygoptera
Family:	Synlestidae
Genus:	Chlorolestes
Species:	C. draconicus
Binomial name
Chlorolestes draconicus Balinsky, 1956
Synonyms
Chlorolestes draconica Balinsky, 1956 [orth. error]

Chlorolestes draconicus, the Drakensberg malachite, is a species of damselfly in the family Synlestidae.

Distribution and status

Male Drakensberg malachite. Kamberg Nature Reserve

This species has a restricted range in the Drakensberg mountains of Lesotho and South Africa. ^[1] Its conservation status has been assessed as Least Concern as much of its range falls within the uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park. ^[2]

Habitat

Its natural habitat is rocky streams at high altitude (1700–3000 m). ^[3]

Identification

Where Chlorolestes draconicus is found, it is usually outnumbered by the similar Chlorolestes fasciatus . Key differences between these species are the shape of the antehumeral stripe and the shape of the appendages. Chlorolestes draconicus is also larger and darker than Chlorolestes fasciatus .

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  Male
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  Male
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  Detail of male abdomen; ventral view
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  Detail of male abdomen; lateral view
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  Female
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  Female
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  Female
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  Comparison of the thoracic patterns of the Drakensberg malachite (top) and the mountain malachite

References

1. Samways, M.J. (2010). "Chlorolestes draconicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010 e.T4730A11090775. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T4730A11090775.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. Samways, M.J. (2010). "Chlorolestes draconicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010 e.T4730A11090775. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T4730A11090775.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
3. Tarboton, W.R.; Tarboton, M. (2002). A fieldguide to the dragonflies of South Africa. Warwick & Michèle Tarboton. ISBN   0-620-29887-1.

External links

• Media related to Chlorolestes draconicus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Chlorolestes draconicus at Wikispecies
• Chlorolestes draconicus on African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online
• Chlorolestes draconicus description on Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF
• Drakensberg malachite Species text in the Online Atlas of South African Odonata