Powder-faced Sprite (Pseudagrion kersteni)

Cover photo by Eugene Troskie.

Find the Powder-faced Sprite in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Coenagrionidae

Identification

Small size

Length up to 37mm; Wingspan reaches 49mm.

Male Powder-faced Sprites closely resemble Pseudagrion furcigerum (Palmiet Sprite). The two are best identified by the colour of the labrum on the face. Pseudagrion furcigerum has a bright, lime green labrum, while Pseudagrion kersteni has a blackish labrum.

Females are similar to those of many other Pseudagrion species and are best identified by their association with the males.

Click here for more details on identification.

Habitat

The Powder-faced Sprite inhabits the grassy fringes of streams and rivers. It has a preference for flowing water and is often found in wooded areas with dappled light. The Powder-faced Sprite is found up to 1600m above sea level and is seldom encountered along the coast except for some areas in southern KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Behaviour

The Powder-faced Sprite is a fairly conspicuous damselfly that perches prominently on grass or reed stems over the water. Females are usually a little further from the water among grass and bushes.

The Powder-faced Sprite is most active from September to May, but is active year-round at some sites. (see Phenology below).

Status and Conservation

The Powder-faced Sprite is a very common species over much of South Africa, but it is scarce in the Western Cape. The Powder-faced Sprite is listed as of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Distribution

Pseudagrion kersteni is found virtually throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring wherever there is suitable habitat. In South Africa, the Powder-faced Sprite is distributed widely in the north, east, and south of the country. It largely avoids the drier central regions but is known to occur along parts of the Orange River.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Powder-faced Sprite in the OdonataMAP database as at February 2020.

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Powder-faced Sprite 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 Eugene Troskie is acknowledged. Other photographs by Ryan Tippett.

Powder-faced Sprite Pseudagrion kersteni (Gerstäcker, 1869)

Other common names: Kersten’s Sprite (Alt. English); Poeiergesiggie (Afrikaans).

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. Powder-faced Sprite Pseudagrion kersteni. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/05/19/powder-faced-sprite-pseudagrion-kersteni/

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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