Inspector

Chalcostephia flavifrons · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Inspector
Photo: Annika Lindqvist, CC BY

The Inspector dragonfly is a small species with hind-wing lengths of about 24 to 29 mm. Males turn bluish-grey and dusty when mature, while females and young males are dark with bold yellow bands. It lives in swampy areas, preferring pools, streams, marshes and open savannah or forest clearings across central Africa.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Mature males are bluish-grey and pruinose; females and newly emerged males are dark with striking yellow banding. Both sexes have a yellow face that stands out against a flattened, metallic-green frons.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

The hind wing measures 24 to 29 mm (about 0.9 to 1.1 in).

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

Found in swampy habitats such as temporary and permanent pools with vegetation, streams, rivers, marsh channels, gallery forests, forest clearings, savannah and shrubby areas.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Native to central Africa with a widespread distribution across many countries including Angola, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

It can be told apart from similar species by its yellow face contrasting with a flattened, metallic-green frons.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Inspector photo 3
Photo: Robert Taylor, CC BY

Same family (Libellulidae)

Blue DasherBlue DasherPachydiplax longipennisEastern PondhawkEastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollisCommon WhitetailCommon WhitetailPlathemis lydiaWidow SkimmerWidow SkimmerLibellula luctuosaAutumn MeadowhawkAutumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinumCommon DarterCommon DarterSympetrum striolatum

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcostephia

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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