Skiallagma baueri
Small, black, African dragonfly, often seen perching (Samways, 2008).
Face: all glossy black. Frons and vertex dimpled, shiny black with slight purple metallic sheen.Eyes: deep purplish black.Synthorax: totally black.Wings: very clear, with small amber patc h at base of hindwing.Pterostigmas: light to mid greyish brown, with a dark brown front margin and thick, black veins, 3.1-3.4 mm long (Samways, 2008).Abdomen: all black , although superior appendages whitish, darkening with age.Female: all yellowish green with blackish, irregular stripes on thorax. Abdomen with blackish dorsal and lower sidestripes, and yellowish side stripe that peters out on S8. Hindwing basal amber patch, larger than in male.Pterostigmas light to mid greyish brown between thick, dark veins.
** Text provided by Michael Samways from (Samways, 2008).
Ecology and Distribution
Flight period: All year, although rare in winter, in warm areas, and Nov-May at higher elevations (Samways, 2008). Usually only flies short distances (Samways, 2008).
Pools, swamps, marshes, tarns and occasionally quiet reaches of rivers with an abundance of grasses and other swamp vegetation.(Samways, 2008)
Females oviposit exophytically.