Suave Citril (Ceriagrion suave)

Cover photo by Gary Brown.

Find the Suave Citril in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Coenagrionidae

Identification

Small size

Length up to 41mm; Wingspan reaches 48mm.

The Suave Citril is a small all-orange damselfly. It closely resembles Ceriagrion glabrum (Common Citril). The Suave Citril is best told apart by lacking the small teeth on the hind margin of segment 10 and by its distinctive clasper shape. In Ceriagrion suave the upper and lower claspers are of equal length. In Ceriagrion glabrum the lower clasper extends out beyond the upper clasper.

Colouration is not a reliable means of identification due to variability relating to age.

Females are similar to the males but are duller and slightly more robust.

Click here for more details on identification.

Habitat

The Suave Citril’s natural habitats are pans, pools, marshes, and streams in subtropical or tropical savanna and shrubland. It favours shallowly flooded habitats and sites with rich emergent sedges and grasses.

Behaviour

The Suave Citril perches on grass and sedge stems over shallow water. The Suave Citril is inconspicuous despite its bright colouration.

This species is on the wing from September to April (see Phenology below).

Status and Conservation

In South Africa Ceriagrion suave is uncommon to rare and erratic in its occurence. It is listed globally as of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but in South Africa, the Suave Citril is regarded as Endangered

Distribution

The Suave Citril is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the wetter regions. Its range in South Africa is marginal and has only been recorded from a few locations in the extreme North-East from Pafuri in the Northern Kruger National Park to Kosi Bay in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal.

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

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Suave Citril 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 Gary Brown and Juan-Pierre Antunes is acknowledged. All other photographs by Ryan Tippett.

Suave Citril Ceriagrion suave Ris, 1921

Other common names: Snoepie-aljander (Afrikaans)

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. Suave Citril Ceriagrion suave. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/05/12/suave-citril-ceriagrion-suave/

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.