Coastal Pennant (Macrodiplax cora)

Cover photo by Wil Leurs.

Find the Coastal Pennant in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Libellulidae

Identification

Medium sized

Length up to 44mm; Wingspan attains 71mm.

The adult male Coastal Pennant is a medium-sized dragonfly (length 45mm, wingspan 75mm) with a red abdomen, dorsally marked with distinctive ‘dumbell’-shaped markings along the top of the abdomen (diagnostic in both sexes). The females abdomen is less brightly coloured. The thorax is a brownish colour and often hairy. The wings are clear except for a small amber patch at the base of each hind wing. 

Macrodiplax cora males are most likely to be mistaken for the Nomad/Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), Red Basker (Urothemis assignata), and the Pygmy Basker (Aethriamanta rezia).

Females can be confused with female Red-veined Darters/Nomad (Sympetrum fonscolombii). Both are yellow with 2 pale diagonal panels on the sides of the thorax. However, they are easily told apart by the patterning on the dorsal surface of the abdomen.

Click here for more details on identification of the Coastal Pennant.

Habitat

This species is strictly coastal in South Africa. The Coastal Pennant is well adapted to brackish water and high salinity levels. It inhabits the grass and sedge fringes of estuaries, marshes and pans. Individuals may occasionally also be found away from water in coastal grasslands and bush.

Behaviour

The Coastal Pennant is conspicuous and perches prominently on top of exposed perches like reeds or bare twigs. It hunts from a perch and has a fast, powerful flight, often returning to the same vantage point. The Coastal Pennant is resident or partly nomadic in South Africa but is migratory in some other parts of its range.

Status and Conservation

In South Africa Macrodiplax cora is scarce and erratic in occurence. The coastal Pennant is listed locally and globally as of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Almost the entirety of its South African range is protected within the iSimangaliso wetland Park. In South Africa it has only been recorded in undamaged habitats.

Distribution

Macrodiplax cora is predominantly an Asian species and is widespread in tropical Asia and Australasia. The species also occurs on a number of Indian and Pacific Ocean Islands.

The occurence of this species in Africa is very interesting. The species has established a small resident population in coastal north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. Its South African distribution ranges from St. Lucia up to Kosi Bay, and is also likely to occur in the neighbouring part of southern Mozambique. In other parts of Africa, it has only been recorded in coastal Somalia and on the island of Socotra.

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

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Coastal Pennant 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.

Further Resources

The use of photographs by Felicity Grundlingh and Wil Leurs is acknowledged. All other photographs by Ryan Tippett.

Coastal Pennant Macrodiplax cora (Brauer, 1867)

Other common names: Cora’s Pennant, Coastal Glider, Wandering Pennant (Alternative English names); Kuswimpel (Afrikaans)

Recommended citation format: Loftie Eaton. M; Hofmeyr S; Tippett RM; Underhill L. Coastal Pennant Macrodiplax cora. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at http://thebdi.org/2020/06/19/coastal-pennant-macrodiplax-cora/

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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