Banded groundling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banded groundling |
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| Male, Okavango Delta, Botswana | |
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| Female, uMkhuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa | |
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Libellula leucosticta Burmeister, 1839 |
The Banded Groundling (scientific name: Brachythemis leucosticta) is a cool type of dragonfly. It belongs to the family called Libellulidae. You can find these dragonflies mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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About the Banded Groundling
The Banded Groundling is a small dragonfly. It can grow up to 33 millimeters (about 1.3 inches) long. Its wings can spread out to about 57 millimeters (about 2.2 inches).
What do they look like?
Male Banded Groundlings are mostly black. Their bodies, called the abdomen and thorax, are completely black. They have special spots on their wings, called pterostigmata, which are yellow and dark brown. Each wing also has a dark band near the end. Their faces and eyes are black too.
Female Banded Groundlings look a bit different. Their bodies are yellow and black. As they get older, these colors might become less bright. Their eyes have brown bands.
Where do they live?
You can find the Banded Groundling in many parts of East and Central Africa. They live in countries like Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia. They might also be found in other nearby countries.
These dragonflies like to live near small pools of water. These pools can be in open areas or in savannahs. Sometimes, these pools have plants growing in or around them. Female dragonflies and young males might fly a bit further away from the water.
How do they behave?
Banded Groundlings often stay close to the ground. They like to sit out in the open. They are quite friendly and don't seem to be scared of people or animals.
They often follow larger animals, like humans or cows. They do this to catch small insects that get scared and fly up from the grass. They are also quite social. You might see many of them gathered together, both males and females.
In warmer places, you can see adult Banded Groundlings all year round. In South Africa, they are most active from September to May.
