Agriocnemis pinheyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agriocnemis pinheyi |
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Agriocnemis pinheyi is a type of small insect called a damselfly. It belongs to the Coenagrionidae family. You can find this damselfly in several countries in Africa. These include Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It might also live in Malawi.
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Where It Lives
This damselfly likes to live near water. Its favorite places are open, high-up areas. These often include grasslands with standing water. You might find them in boggy (wet and spongy) spots too. They usually live where there are tall grasses growing out of the water.
How to Spot an Agriocnemis pinheyi
Damselflies in the Agriocnemis group are often called "wisps." They have cool color patterns on their bodies. However, these colors can change with age. This makes them tricky to identify sometimes. Here are some ways to tell Agriocnemis pinheyi apart from similar damselflies:
Head and Face Features
- Spots behind the eyes: A. pinheyi has oval spots behind its eyes. They are not too big or too small. They also don't stretch towards the center of the head.
- Green "moustache": Look for a light green stripe on its face. This "moustache" runs from one eye to the other. It is usually a solid line.
- Lip color: The main lip (called the labrum) is shiny black. It has a bright green border around it.
Body and Wing Details
- Neck area: The back part of its neck (prothorax) has two small cuts on the sides. This makes the middle part look a bit like a fan.
- Stripe on chest: It has a narrow green stripe on its chest area (thorax).
- Wing spots: The small colored spots on its wings (pterostigmata) look similar on all four wings. They are not darker on the back wings.
Size and Appendages
- Size: A. pinheyi is a smaller damselfly. It is about 20 millimeters (less than an inch) long. This is smaller than some other similar damselflies.
- Tail parts: The upper tail parts (cerci) have a sharp, pointed end. This point faces inwards towards its body. The lower tail parts (paraprocts) are almost as long as the upper ones.
