Mostly at rest, wings outstretched on vegetation over water. Banded winged males vigo rously territorial, actively chasing unbanded males away. Banded males space themselves along water's edge.
Fairly large to large, metallic green with pale yellow markings and usually with strongly black and white banded wings. Young individuals are bright metallic green, which darkens with age to shiny copper in very old individuals. Common in all montane areas of SA, exceptWof WCP.
Common between 1200 -1800 m a.s.l. (but almost to sea level at Umtamvuna, and up to 2400 m a.s.l. in Southern Drakensberg). WCP (rare), ECP, FSP, KZNP, Lesotho, MP and LP. An isolated population in the Mountain Zebra National Park.
Flight period: Dec-May, with occasional overwintering individuals.
Face: bright metallic green with central yellow band across genae and anteclypeus.
Eyes: greyish above, light greenish grey below, becoming darker with age.
Synthorax: bright metallic green (young male) to dark metallic green to, in old individuals, bright shiny copper. In the north, males can be very dull dark green.
Wings: strongly black and white banded, but some individuals and even some populations (e.g. Warburton) wings are clear. Wings can become very smoky in individuals with clear wings in shaded habitats.
Pterostigmas: bicoloured, blackish brown and cream to light to dark brown.
Abdomen: metallic green maturing to copper, with fine yellow rings at start of each segment. Pruinescent whitish grey hind margin of S8 and all S9-10. In individuals in shady habitats, this pruinescence may be very faint.
Female: similar to male but always with clear wings. Pruinescence on S8-10 not as dense as in male.
Streams and small rivers with pools and abundance of tall grass, reeds and small bushes over the water. In the north, occasionally
in forested areas.
This widespread species is interme diate between several other Chlorolestes species. Larger than C.umbratus, and without the grey thorax, it has a very different appearance, especially inferior appendages, which are double-pointed. Immature and clear-winged C. fasciatus safest determined on distinctive fork shape of inferior appendages. Female determined by variety of characte ristics, including range, habitat and association with male and comparison of synthoracic stripes.
Chlorolestes fasciatus, the mountain malachite or mountain sylph is a species of damselfly in the family Synlestidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa and Eswatini. Its natural habitat is montane streams.
It is 39–54 mm long with a wingspan of 49–64 mm. Males and females are similar; the thorax and abdomen are metallic-green aging to coppery brown. The thorax has contrasting yellow antehumeral stripes; these are more narrow than those of the similar Forest Malachite. Most mature males have opalescent and blackish wing bands.[2]
Male
Chlorolestes fasciatus, the mountain malachite or mountain sylph is a species of damselfly in the family Synlestidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa and Eswatini. Its natural habitat is montane streams.
It is 39–54 mm long with a wingspan of 49–64 mm. Males and females are similar; the thorax and abdomen are metallic-green aging to coppery brown. The thorax has contrasting yellow antehumeral stripes; these are more narrow than those of the similar Forest Malachite. Most mature males have opalescent and blackish wing bands.
Male
