Chlorolestes apricans
Face:
all shiny, metallic green to gold or copper, but genae and centre of anteclypeus dull yellow. Labrum metallic green
Eyes: light to dark brown above, light greyish blue below.
Prothorax: with heavy whitish pruinescence
Synthorax: metallic green to gold or copper above, deep yellow to sienna below. Prominent parts of dorsal surface of synthorax between wings markedly pruinescent whitish-grey.
Wings: usually strongly banded black and white, but sometimes clear to slightly smoky
Pterostigmas: yellowish buff, slightly darker on the inside, darkening to all brown with age.
Abdomen: bright metallic green with fine yellowrings at the start of each segment. S1 above and S8-10 above strongly pruinescent
Female: very similar to male, but never with wing bases strongly pruinescent. S1 and S8 pruinescent, and S9-10 heavily whitish pruinescent.
Medium-sized, striking, metallic green to copper body with white pruinescent patches on prothorax and synthorax between wing bases. Usually with black and white banded wings. Small, fast rivers in ECP.
Fairly weak flier. Perches by hanging with wings outstretched on grass or reeds over stream in full sunshine.
The only other species in Amatola-Winterberg are C. fasciatus and C. tessellatus , both of which also have banded wings in the EC, but both much larger (more than 50 mm long) C. fasciatus and C. apricans can be in the same habitat (open, sunny, grassy streams) ( C. tessellatus is in forest) but are separated on shape of hind margin of S10 and on appendages. The only other small species is C. umbratus , of the southern Cape coastal area, which has a very pruinescent synthorax and, in side view, hooked superior appendages. Labrum is metallic green, in both male and female C. apricans , but black in male and female C. umbratus.
One of SA's rarest and most threatened endemic damselflies, restricted to a few unspoilt rivers in the Amatola-Winterberg, ECP.
Flight period: Dec-May
Open, shallow, rockybottomed streams with profusion of reeds, grass and small bushes in and besidewater.