Blue-sided Sprite (Pseudagrion sudanicum)

Cover photo by Gregg Darling.

Find the Blue-sided Sprite in the FBIS database (Freshwater Biodiversity Information System) here.

Family Coenagrionidae

Identification

Small size

Length up to 39mm; Wingspan reaches 51mm.

Male Blue-sided Sprites are unmistakable and unlike any other South African species. The combination of chocolate brown eyes, large bright blue postocular spots, and bright blue thorax sides are diagnostic.

Females are also distinctive, being overall orange and black in colour. They are however, quite similar to the orange-form females of the Tropical Bluetail (Ischnura senegalensis). Female Blue-sided Sprites are larger and more elongate and have thin black antehumeral lines on the thorax. Older females are darker and can resemble males. They may develop a blue abdomen tip but lack the bright blue thorax sides.

Click here for more details on identification.

Habitat

The Blue-sided Sprite inhabits fast-flowing rivers in hot savanna regions. It favours sites with an abundance of emergent grass, sedge, reeds, or papyrus.

Behaviour

The Blue-sided Sprite typically perches over the water on emergent vegetation.

It is on the wing from October to May but may fly all year in some places. See Phenology below.

Status and Conservation

The Blue-sided Sprite is generally an uncommon species. It is listed as of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Blue-sided Sprite frequents unaltered habitats and is not known to use man-made environments.

Distribution

The Blue-sided Sprite is a species of East and Southern Africa. Its distribution ranges from Sudan in the north down to South Africa. In South Africa, the Blue-sided Sprite is restricted to north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo.

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

Below is a map showing the distribution of records for Blue-sided 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 Gregg Darling and John Wilkinson is acknowledged. All other photographs by Ryan Tippett.

Blue-sided Sprite Pseudagrion sudanicum Pinhey, 1955

Other common names: Sudan Sprite (Alt. English); Blousygesie (Afrikaans)

Recommended citation format: Loftie-Eaton M; Navarro R; Tippett RM; Underhill L. 2025. Blue-sided Sprite Pseudagrion sudanicum. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2020/05/22/blue-sided-sprite-pseudagrion-sudanicum/

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.

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