Kubusi stream damsel (Metacnemis valida)

Kubusi stream damsel
Kubusi stream damsel

Kubusi stream damsel fact file

Kubusi stream damsel description

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderOdonata
FamilyPlatycnemididae
GenusMetacnemis (1)

The Kubusi stream damsel is a distinctive and easily recognisable damselfly with widely set eyes, a black and white stripped thorax, and a blue abdomen. The end of each abdominal segment is pigmented black, giving a conspicuous striped appearance.

Top

Kubusi stream damsel biology

Virtually nothing is known of the Kubusi stream damsel’s reproductive biology, life history patterns or feeding behaviour. Nevertheless, there are general biological characteristics of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) that are likely to apply. Odonata species start their life as aquatic larvae or nymphs, passing through a series of developmental stages or ‘stadia’ and undergoing several moults as they grow. This larval period can last anything between three months and ten years, depending upon the species. Before the final moult (emergence), metamorphosis occurs in which the larvae transform into the adult form. After emergence, adults undergo a pre-reproductive phase known as the maturation period, and this is when individuals normally develop their full adult colour. Odonata usually feed on flying insects and are generalised, opportunistic feeders, often congregating around abundant prey sources such as swarms of termites or near beehives (2).

There is often fierce competition between males for access to reproductive females, and females typically begin to lay eggs in water immediately after copulation, often guarded by their mate. However, females of some species can store live sperm in their body for a number of days (2).

Top

Kubusi stream damsel range

This South African endemic was formerly known from a few isolated localities in the Amatola-Winterberg region of the Eastern Cape, but is now restricted to just two sites on the Kabusi River near Stutterheim (1).

Top

Kubusi stream damsel habitat

The Kubusi stream damsel inhabits shallow, clear, rocky streams (1).

Top

Kubusi stream damsel status

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1).

IUCN Red List species status – Endangered

Top

Kubusi stream damsel threats

This endangered damselfly has disappeared from some of its former range, and is now known from only two sites, which are unprotected and experiencing ongoing habitat loss and degradation (1). Habitat loss is principally the result of cattle farming, but additional threats include alien invasive trees (particularly black wattle Acacia mearnsii) shading out the habitat, pollution of the Kabusi River from domestic washing, and siltation of the stream from cattle trampling the banks (1). Predation by introduced rainbow trout may also pose a threat (1).

Top

Kubusi stream damsel conservation

A massive national rehabilitation scheme (Working with Water Programme) began in 1995 with the aim of eradicating invasive alien plants in South Africa. The programme has been a fantastic success story, with other dragonflies and damselflies (e.g. harlequin sprite Pseudagrion newtoni) that were presumed to be extinct being rediscovered along river stretches where invasive alien trees were removed and the natural vegetation re-established (3). Thus, continued work by the Working with Water Programme in the removal of alien plants could also help the Kubusi stream damsel recover in a similar way (4). A further important conservation measure advocated is the translocation of this species to a protected area, where it could find safe refuge from the damaging impacts of pollution and cattle farming (1).

Top

Authentication

Authenticated (12/07/2006) by Professor Michael Samways, Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology and Centre for Agricultural Biodiversity, Stellenbosch University, and Chair of the IUCN/SSC Southern African Invertebrate Specialist Group.
http://academic.sun.ac.za/entomology/,
http://ptrc.npust.edu.tw/IUCN/documents/SG_reports/SouthAfricanInvertebrate_Profile.pdf

Top

Glossary

Abdomen
In arthropods (crustaceans, insects and arachnids) the abdomen is the hind region of the body, which is usually segmented to a degree (but not visibly in most spiders). In crustacea (e.g. crabs) some of the limbs attach to the abdomen; in insects the limbs are attached to the thorax (the part of the body nearest to the head) and not the abdomen. In vertebrates the abdomen is the part of the body that contains the internal organs (except the heart and lungs).
Endemic
A species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area.
Metamorphosis
An abrupt physical change from the larval to the adult form.
Thorax
Part of the body located near the head in animals. In insects, the three segments between the head and the abdomen, each of which has a pair of legs. In vertebrates the thorax contains the heart and the lungs
Top

References

  1. IUCN Red List (September, 2008)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org
  2. O’Toole, C. (2002) The New Encyclopedia of Insects and Their Allies. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  3. Samways, M.J., Taylor, S. and Tarboton, W. (2005) Extinction Reprieve Following Alien Removal. Conservation Biology, 19(4): 1329 - 1330.
  4. Beauchemin, K., Slinde, E. and Weimer, P. (2003) Recovery of Biodiversity with Removal of Alien Plants. Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences Newsletter, 1: 3 - 4. Available at:
    http://academic.sun.ac.za/agric/downloads/nuusbriewe/2003/Issue-1-September2003.pdf

More »Related species

Ceres featherlegs (Metacnemis angusta)Powder blue damsel (Arabicnemis caerulea)Edmund's snaketail (Ophiogomphus edmundo)Mahogany presba (Syncordulia venator)Rhyothemis (Rhyothemis fuliginosa)Seychelles fineliner (Teinobasis alluaudi)Elegant sprite (Pseudagrion decorum)Slender skimmer (Orthetrum sabina)

Please donate to ARKive today

Help us share the wonders of the natural world. Donate today!

Sign up to our newsletter

Get the latest wild news direct to your inbox.

Get involved

ARKive relies on its media donors to donate photos and videos. Can you help? There are plenty of other ways you can get involved too!

X
Close

Image credit

Kubusi stream damsel  
Kubusi stream damsel

© Michael Samways / University of Stellenbosch

University of Stellenbosch
Private Bag XI
Matieland
7602
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 808 9111
samways@sun.ac.za
http://www.sun.ac.za/

X
Close

Link to this photo

ARKive species - Kubusi stream damsel (Metacnemis valida) Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.

Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.

Read more about

X
Close

MyARKive

MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.

X
Close

Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials

Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.

Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:

  • view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
  • download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
  • teachers, lecturers and students may incorporate the Material in their educational material (including, but not limited to, their lesson plans, presentations, worksheets and projects) in hard copy and digital format for use within a registered educational establishment, provided that the integrity of the Material is maintained and that copyright ownership and authorship is appropriately acknowledged by the End User.

End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.

Additional use of flagged material

Green flagged material 

Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.

Creative commons material

Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.

Any other use

Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.

Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.