Ceriagrion rubellocerinum, Coenagrionidae, naturally brings to mind—especially through its name—Ceriagrion cerinorubellum, which is widely distributed across Asia. Fraser (1947) wrote that he thought he was dealing with this species in Ivory Coast.
Personally, I find the Asian version much more spectacular.
There is no risk of confusion with another Coenagrionidae; the bend of the final abdominal segments is truly characteristic of the Ceriagrion genus, and its coloration rules out any other species.
In English, it is known as the Red-tipped Citril.
Above is an older, mature specimen, remarkable for the pruinosity on its thorax and its distinctly dark, green eyes. Note the moss on the dorsal surface of the sixth and seventh segments, evidence of the ambient humidity.
Fraser measures its abdomen at 38 mm. Its total length therefore reaches about 46 mm.
Note the tricolored eyes in specimens that are not fully mature: green in their lower part and red and black in their upper part.
It is much less common than C. glabrum, which can be found in forests or more open environments. Ceriagrion rubellocerinum is mainly present at the edges of forests or wooded areas near ponds, and it quickly conceals itself inside the vegetation and shrubs.
It is distributed across southern West Africa, from Sierra Leone in the west to Nigeria in the east. It reaches Cameroon slightly further south.
IUCN Red List.
These females are identified by their proximity to the males and, of course, the absence of other Ceriagrion male species. In fact, they share certain coloration details with the males.
The two above are young; the one on the left is nearly teneral; the one below is likely mature.
Etymology of Ceriagrion rubellocerinum
Ceriagrion: the genus was erected by Selys, 1876, when he split the large genus Agrion, likely for the species cerinorubellum, from agrion (very widely used for creating names in… Coenagrionidae, and derived from the Greek agrios, meaning wild, living in the fields) and the Latin cerinus, meaning wax-colored (or wax-like appearance?), like the smooth, hairless thorax of the genus. See Fliedner, 2006.
Rubellocerinum: this species name is a nod to Brauer, who described Ceriagrion cerinorubellum. Fraser writes: "The colouring of this new species is almost a replica of C . cerinorubellum (Brulle) of the Oriental fauna and I actually mistook it at first for that species and only closer inspection showed it to be a most remarkable case of similarity through convergence."
Fraser was certainly mistaken, as he attributes the Asian species to Brullé; both authors' names start with the same letters, "Br…"! But Brullé is well known to European odonatologists for having described Crocothemis erythraea in 1832.
Fliedner, 2006. - The scientific names of the Odonata in Burmeister’s « Handbuch der Entomologie ».
Fraser, 1947 - THE ODONATA OF THE IVORY COAST BASED ON THE MISSION OF DR. R. PAULIAN AND P. LEPESME - Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 1947. P. 28.