genus: SMARAGDESTHES Kraatz 1880
species: africana Drury 1773
origin: widely throughout all tropical Africa

subspecies: oertzeni Kolbe 1895
origin: Tanzania

subspecies: smaragdina Voet 1779
origin: Zaire
origin2: Uganda, Lake Mburo leg.Petr Malec 11/2006

subspecies: mutica Harold 1878
variety: subsuturalis Kraatz 1891
origin: Ethiopia, Bedele; Didesa river (4/2003), leg. B.Malec, det. G.Beinhundner

to all species :
wild imago size: around 20 mm
sexual dimorphism: males with abdominal groove on sternits
note : small easy-to-breed tribe with short life cycle taking up to 4 months. Adults live for several months, rarely more than 1 year. Larvae can be kept together, also in large quanta.