Glistening Demoiselle (Phaon iridipennis)

Cover photo by Andries de Vries.

Find the Glistening Demoiselle in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Calopterygidae

Identification

Very large. This is the largest species of damselfly in Southern Africa.

Length reaches 75mm; Wingspan attains 87mm

The Glistening Demoiselle is an unmistakable species in South Africa. The overall colouration of males is dark glossy green, often with a coppery tinge. Females are slightly browner and less colourful than the males. Both sexes show iridescent purple-blue sparkles in the wings, when seen in the right light. The Glistening Demoiselle is easily identified by its large size, cryptic colouration, and forest-floor habitat.

Click here for more details on identification.

Habitat

The Glistening Demoiselle is a species of forests and dense woodland. Along the East coast of South Africa, it occupies coastal, dune, and swamp forests. Further inland it inhabits riverine/gallery forest and woodlands along savanna rivers, as well as the forested verges of pans and marshes. The Glistening Demoiselle is shade-dependent and is seldom seen away from cover. In South Africa it is found up to 800m above sea level.

Behaviour

The Glistening Demoiselle is typically found low down in dense, shady undergrowth, mostly within about two meters of the ground. It frequently perches on sticks and logs among the leaf litter. The wings are folded at rest and held at a 45 degree angle while the abdomen is slightly raised. It is very cryptic when perched, but conspicuous in flight due to its iridescent wings and large size. At the water’s edge it perches low down on rocks and overhanging sticks. The Glistening Demoiselle is frequently found far from water in forest undergrowth and along pathways, particularly after breeding.

The Glistening Demoiselle has been recorded all year round in the warmer regions. It is most active from October to March with a peak during late November (See Phenology below).

Status and Conservation

Phaon iridipennis is locally common. It is listed as of least concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Glistening Demoiselle is fairly resistant to habitat degradation, including water turbidity and it is tolerant of at least some alien plant growth.

Distribution

The Glistening Demoiselle is widespread across tropical Africa. It extends from the Eastern Cape in the South, up through the Eastern parts of Southern Africa, and throughout most of East, Central, and West Africa. It is also found in Madagascar.

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

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Glistening Demoiselle 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 Andries de Vries is acknowledged.

Glistening Demoiselle Phaon iridipennis (Burmeister, 1838)

Other common names: Glinsterjuffertjie (Afrikaans).

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. Glistening Demoiselle Phaon iridipennis.  Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/04/20/glistening-demoiselle-phaon-iridipennis/

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

Martens, A; Suhling, F. (2007). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Namibia. Gamsberg Macmillan.