UPDATED CHECKLIST: An Adobe pdf version of the checklist as at December 2018 is available here (click to view/download - approx 10 MB).

View lists of Odonata: Dragonflies and Damselflies by eighth degree grid square

Nesciothemis farinosa
      Eastern Blacktail
   Mantenga Mlawula

View photos in Biodiversity Explorer

Distribution: Throughout much of South Africa, but more common in warm areas and local on highveld. Up to 1200 m a.s.l. in KwaZulu Natal. To Egypt and southern Arabia.
Body Length: 40-46 mm
Hind Wing Length: 30.5-35 mm
Habitat: Pools, pans and particu larly sluggish reaches of rivers with an abundance of tall grass and reeds.
Flight Period: October to May
Features: Medium-sized to fairly large, fairly robust, strikingly blackheaded, very pale powdery bluish-grey with a black tail. Pools and quiet reaches of rivers in much of South Africa.
Comments: Occurrence in Eswatini confirmed by photo by Kate Braun, Tina Petterson, Pam Sai, G Diedericks and Ernst Klimsa, and SA damselflies and dragonflies checklist (Durban Natural Science Museum, 2000).

32 records, from 12/31/2010 to 1/5/2018

Information extracted from "Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa" by Michael J Samways, which also includes detailed descriptions of each species.