African Emerald (Hemicordulia africana)

Cover photo by Richard Johnstone.

Find the African Emerald in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Corduliidae

Hemicordulia africana is the only African member of this largely Asian family.

Identification

Medium-large size

Length reaches 47mm; Wingspan up to 65mm.

The African Emerald is unlike any other dragonfly in the region. The metallic green colouration, combined with its unique wing venation and tiny black pterostigmas render this species unmistakable. In poor light conditions, which is when this species is most active, the overall colouration appears dark blackish-green. In sunlight, it is bright metallic green.

Females are less colourful than the males, showing a reduced amount of metallic colouration and dark yellow wing bases.

The African Emerald could be mistaken for Zyxomma atlanticum (Smoky Duskdarter), especially in flight and in poor light. Both species occur in the same habitat and are similar in size and behaviour.

Click here for more details on identification of the African Emerald.

Habitat

The African Emerald is a forest-dwelling species. It inhabits coastal forest and especially swamp forests in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. It is most often seen along forest tracks and clearings. The African Emerald breeds in forested pools, streams, and rivers.

Behaviour

The African Emerald is elusive and crepuscular, being most active at dusk, but may also emerge at other times, during very humid conditions. They spend much of the day hidden in dense, shaded vegetation. African Emeralds hunt back and forth along a selected route at forest edges and clearings near water. The African Emerald is somewhat inquisitive and may approach an observer before moving off again. It regularly pauses to rest by hanging vertically from a perch.

Status and Conservation

The African Emerald is uncommon and localised. It is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The presence of this species in South Africa is erratic, and it may be absent from some areas during drought periods.

Distribution

Hemicordulia africana has a disjunct distribution in Eastern and Southern Africa, although it is likely to be under recorded in many areas.

In South Africa it is restricted to the coastal plain of north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, where it has been recorded from Kosi Bay down to Richards Bay.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for African Emerald in the OdonataMAP database as at February 2020.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for African Emerald in the OdonataMAP database as of December 2024.

The next map below is an imputed map, produced by an interpolation algorithm, which attempts to generate a full distribution map from the partial information in the map above. This map will be improved by the submission of records to the OdonataMAP section of the Virtual Museum.

Ultimately, we will produce a series of maps for all the odonata species in the region. The current algorithm is a new algorithm. The objective is mainly to produce “smoothed” maps that could go into a field guide for odonata. This basic version of the algorithm (as mapped above) does not make use of “explanatory variables” (e.g. altitude, terrain roughness, presence of freshwater — we will be producing maps that take these variables into account soon). Currently, it only makes use of the OdonataMAP records for the species being mapped, as well as all the other records of all other species. The basic maps are “optimistic” and will generally show ranges to be larger than what they probably are.

These maps use the data in the OdonataMAP section of the Virtual Museum, and also the database assembled by the previous JRS funded project, which was led by Professor Michael Samways and Dr KD Dijkstra.

Phenology

Further Resources

The use of photographs by Corne Rautenbach, Felicity Grundlingh, Georg Jacobs, Lauren Arnold, and Richard Johnstone is acknowledged.

African Emerald Hemicordulia africana Dijkstra, 2007

Other Common names: Afrikaanse Swalker (Afrikaans)

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. African Emerald Hemicordulia africana. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/05/15/african-emerald-hemicordulia-africana/

References: Tarboton, M; Tarboton, W. (2019). A Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of South Africa. Struik Nature.

Samways, MJ. (2008). Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa. Pensoft

Samways, MJ. (2016). Manual of Freshwater Assessment for South Africa: Dragonfly Biotic Index.Suricata 2. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

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