About Syncordulia gracilis (Burmeister, 1839)
Syncordulia gracilis (Burmeister, 1839) measures approximately 43 to 48 millimeters in total length, with a wingspan ranging from 60 to 70 millimeters. Males and females are very similar in appearance, but females have an amber-colored wash on both their forewings and hindwings. Each side of the thorax bears two yellow stripes, and the abdomen is patterned yellow and black. This species is endemic to southwestern Western Cape Province, South Africa. There is one historical record from 1948 collected in the Drakensberg area of KwaZulu-Natal Province, and one 2000 record from Prentjiesberg in Eastern Cape Province. The species is rare across all of its range, and it is no longer found at many locations where it occurred historically, leading to its classification as vulnerable on the Red List. Its natural habitats are montane streams and rivers that flow over flat rocks, located in areas with fynbos or grassy banks.
