Bug FAQForest Malachite
Chlorolestes tessellatus · Order: Odonata · Family: Synlestidae
It lives in shady forest streams and seeps and is found only in South Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Both sexes look alike, showing a metallic-green body that turns coppery brown with age. The thorax bears wide yellow stripes in front of the wing bases, broader than those of the similar Mountain Malachite.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Length ranges from 47 to 57 mm and the wingspan from 55 to 72 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers shaded areas near forest streams, seeps, and wooded valleys.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is endemic to South Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the Mountain Malachite, but its yellow antehumeral stripes are noticeably broader.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell a Forest Malachite apart from similar damselflies?
Look for the wide yellow stripes on the thorax; they are broader than those on the Mountain Malachite, and both sexes share a metallic-green to coppery brown body.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Forest Malachite found?
It lives in shaded forest streams and seeps in South Africa and is not found elsewhere.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Synlestidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorolestes_tessellatus
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.