Dancing broad legged jewel

Introduction: Dancing Broad-legged Jewels (Platycypha caligata) inhabit rocky, fast-flowing zones of river. Platys is Greek for 'wide, broad' and kyphos 'hunchbacked' referring to the prominent clypeus. Caligata is a Latin word for 'booted' or 'in boots', a reference to the obvious legs of the male.

Distribution: Restricted to the Okavango and Zambezi Rivers.

Colouration: Males have a red outer side and a white inner side. The females are black and brown.

Breeding: After acceptance, the male and female fly to a twig or a rock to copulate. Later the female returns to the wet driftwood to lay her eggs.

Flight season: Throughout the year but mainly from August and September to November and December and February to April.

Max size: Males and females have the same body shape, the females have shorter wings.

Conservation: Not threatened but habitat dependent.