''Pinheyschna subpupillata'', the stream hawker, is a species of

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threat ...

in the family

Aeshnidae Aeshnidae, also called aeshnids, hawkers, or darners, is a family of dragonflies, found nearly worldwide, with more than 50 genera and over 450 species. The family includes some of the largest dragonflies. Description Common worldwide or nearl ...

Distribution

This hawker is endemic to southern Africa; it is common in much of southern and eastern

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, and is also found in parts of

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

and

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

Habitat

Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s include fast-flowing streams and rivers in

montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

and upland settings. Rivers and streams with densely vegetated banks (both grassy and bushy) are preferred.

Description

A large dragonfly (length 61–64 mm; wingspan 87–91 mm). The eyes are green and the face deep yellow to greenish yellow; the upper

frons Insect morphology is the study and description of the physical form of insects. The terminology used to describe insects is similar to that used for other arthropods due to their shared evolutionary history. Three physical features separate insec ...

has a central black spot within a yellow ring. The thorax is brown with green stripes, and the abdomen green with brown markings. The wings are slightly smoky with brown and yellow veins and reddish-brown to yellow-brown

pterostigma The pterostigma (plural: pterostigmata) is a group of specialized cells in the outer wings of insects, which are often thickened or coloured, and thus stand out from other cells. It is particularly noticeable in dragonflies, but present also in ...

ta.

Similar species

''Pinheyschna subpupillata'' is similar to ''

Zosteraeschna minuscula ''Zosteraeschna minuscula'', the friendly hawker is a species of dragonfly in family Aeshnidae. It is found in South Africa and Namibia. Its natural habitats include ponds and still pools in montane streams. This is a fairly large species; 59–6 ...

'' and ''

Zosteraeschna usambarica ''Zosteraeschna'' is the scientific name of a genus of dragonflies from the family Aeshnidae. These relatively large dragonflies are also known as hawkers. They are dark brown with yellow-green markings; On the abdomens of the males, much of the ...

'', but the latter species have browner abdomens, and long green dorsal stripes on the thorax. The black marking on the upper frons of ''

'' is shaped like an anchor, and that of ''

'' like a pentagon, rather than the rounded spot of the stream hawker. ''Pinheyschna subpupillata'' males also differ in having secondary gentilia that project conspicuously from the second segment of the abdomen (S2), and lack the blue saddle (also S2) of '' Zosteraeschna'' males. P subpupillata AManson 007331-2.jpg, Male in flight P subpupillata AManson 003468-1.jpg, Male perched Pinheyschna_subpupillata_2016_01_19.jpg, Male P subpupillata AManson 2014 02 27 6450.jpg, Male face P subpupillata AManson 012440-1.jpg, Female P subpupillata AManson 002185-1.jpg, Female ovipositing P subpupillata AManson 002185-3.jpg, Female ovipositing P subpupillata AManson 004523-1.jpg, Female ovipositing

References

External links

Stream hawker
Species text in the Online Atlas of South African Odonata Aeshnidae Insects described in 1896 Taxa named by Robert McLachlan (entomologist) {{Aeshnidae-stub