Lestes dissimulans Fraser 1955

Hangs, with wings outstretched, from grass stems and rushes overwater.

Medium-sized, greenish grey speckled and lightly striped. Localised at bush-fringed pools in hot savanna.

LP and N of KZNP. To E andWAfrica.

Flight period: Dec-May

Face: With pale bluish lower part, remainder black. Labrum and anteclypeus pale bluish green. Postclypeus blackish, pale blue on outer margins. Genae pale greyish blue. Head above mostly black with sheen.

Eyes: bright blue above, greyish below

Prothorax: black with metallic green blotches.

Synthorax: with faint greyish brown and black irregular stripes. Sides with fairly heavy pruinescence and small black dots.

Wings: clear to slightly smoky

Pterostigmas: broad, rectangular, dark brown with fine, pale borders anteriorly and on outer edge

Abdomen: greenish grey, with black markings beginning on S1 as a large spot, widening to dorsal band on S2-7. S8 mostly black. Fine yellowish rings at end of each S1-7. S9-10 pruinescent bright grey. Superior appendages all black.

Female: greenish brown with broken metallic green stripes on thorax, as in male.

Pools and swamps in hot savanna.

This small Lestes species is greenish grey with an irregular, striped thorax, becoming heavily pruinescent with age. It is smaller than L. uncifer , and not so green. It is not continuously and distinctly striped like most L. pallidus or L. plagiatus, nor plain brown like L. ictericus (and the occasional L. pallidus), nor spotted like L tridens. It is essential to examine the appendages which have a ledge-like inner margin and only a single, small obtuse basal tooth.

Lestes dissimulans is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known by the common name cryptic spreadwing.

It is native to central Africa, where it is widespread. It occurs in swampy habitat at pools and streams.