Duskdarters

Family Libellulidae Leach, 1815

• Genus Parazyxomma (Banded Duskdarters) Pinhey, 1961
• Genus Zyxomma (Duskdarters) Rambur, 1842

Worldwide

• Several species occur in tropical Australasia, of which Z. petiolatum reaches the Seychelles and Mascarenes

Africa And South Africa

• Banded Duskdarter
  One Species (Parazyxomma flavicans, Banded Duskdarter.)
• Duskdarter
  A single species is endemic to continental Africa. 
  Zyxomma atlanticum, Smoky Duskdarter
  

General information:

• Banded Duskdarter
  The medium-sized (hindwing 26-32 mm
  Found at standing and slow-flowing water in or near forest in much of tropical Africa.
  With its banded wings, dark body and stout abdomen, it recalls Brachythemis leucosticta, but is larger and sleeker,
  Normally has no cells doubled in the radial planate, always fainter wing-bands and bigger eyes marked with a peculiar dark latticework
• Smoky Duskdarter
  Brown body, slender abdomen, and big pale green eyes with three transverse dark stripes.
  The wings are normally distinctly smoky or yellow-stained, especially around the nodes and pterostigmas and at the hindwing base
  It swiftly patrols low over pools in swampy forest when it is almost dark and rests low in undergrowth during the day
  The species occurs from Uganda through the Congo Basin to western Africa, with an isolated population on the north-eastern South African coast.

General facts

• Parazyxomma behaves like Zyxomma, lurking in vegetation during the day and making fast, long and low patrols close along banks at dusk.
• With the banded wing features, Parazyxomma is intermediate between Brachythemis, Groundlings Tholymis, Twisters and Zyxomma, Duskdarters. These genera are very closely related, sharing not only their increasing activity towards sunset, but also the habit of laying eggs in flight on plant material close to the water surface.

Synopsis 

• Only males are shown To view females follow the links to the species main page
• Click on all images to enlarge.

Distribution

Credit to Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra for the descriptions (Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014)