Until 2009, Banded Groundlings were considered one species: Brachythemis leucosticta. The species was split into two very similar looking species: Northern Banded Groundling (B. impartita) which occurs from central Africa to the north, and Southern Banded Groundling (B. leucosticta) south of the Sahara to South Africa. In central Africa both species co-exist in a large area. This means that the European populations (in southern Iberia, Sardinia and Sicily) are B. impartita, although field guides pre-dating 2009 will still mention it as B. leucosticta.
Groundlings are often found closely following elephants and hippos and such, or cattle in their European absence. They prey on insects flushed out by the grazing or moving animals. They show the same behaviour with slowly moving cars or photographers searching for dragonflies.
