Dragonflies


Home Photography Bird Images Dragonfly Images NEW Dragonfly Guide Other Creatures Biography Links Contact us	LIST OF DRAGONFLIES
	The dragonfly species (n=224) currently recorded in southern Africa (i.e. south of the Zambezi and Kunene rivers) are listed below in the taxonomic sequence used by Pinhey (1951, 1984), in which damselflies are listed first, and then dragonflies. Species not yet recorded in South Africa are shown in green. Highlighted names have pictures - click on a species' name to view the image/s of that species. The aim of these pictures is to supplement the text and illustrations that are to be found in our two books "A Fieldguide to the Dragonflies of South Africa" and " A Fieldguide to the Damselflies of South Africa". These guides provide a general introduction to the odonata of the region. We have recently added to this site our first dragonfly trip report.
	SYSTEMATIC LIST

	DAMSELFLIES Family Synlestidae MALACHITES Family Lestidae SPREADWINGS Family Protoneuridae THREADTAILS Family Platycnemididae STREAM-DAMSELS Family Coenagrionidae ‘NARROW-WINGED DAMSELFLIES’ Family Calopterygidae DEMOISELLES Family Chlorocyphidae JEWELS DRAGONFLIES Family Gomphidae CLUBTAILS Family Aeshnidae HAWKERS, EMPERORS Family Corduliidae PRESBAS, EMERALDS Family Macromiidae CRUISERS Family Libellulidae SKIMMERS & THE LIKE	Zygoptera Chlorolestes apricans AMATOLA MALACHITE Chlorolestes conspicuus CONSPICUOUS MALACHITE Chlorolestes draconicus DRAKENSBERG MALACHITE Chlorolestes elegans ELEGANT MALACHITE Chlorolestes fasciatus MOUNTAIN MALACHITE Chlorolestes tesselatus FOREST MALACHITE Chlorolestes umbratus WHITE MALACHITE Ecchlorolestes nylephtha QUEEN MALACHITE Ecchlorolestes peringueyi ROCK MALACHITE Lestes amicus YELLOW-TIPPED SPREADWING Lestes dissimulans CRYPTIC SPREADWING Lestes ictericus TAWNY SPREADWING Lestes ochraceus OCHRE SPREADWING Lestes pallidus PALLID SPREADWING Lestes pinheyi PINHEY’S SPREADWING Lestes plagiatus COMMON SPREADWING Lestes tridens SPOTTED SPREADWING Lestes uncifer SICKLE SPREADWING Lestes virgatus SMOKY SPREADWING Elattoneura frenulata SOOTY THREADTAIL Elattoneura glauca COMMON THREADTAIL Elattoneura cellularis (=tropicalis) TROPICAL THREADTAIL Allocnemis leucosticta GOLDTAIL Chlorocnemis marshalli Chlorocnemis wittei Mesocnemis singularis RIVERJACK * Metacnemis angusta CERES STREAM-DAMSEL Metacnemis valida KUBUSI STREAM-DAMSEL Ceriagrion corallinum (=bidentatum) CORAL-RED ORANGE Ceriagrion glabrum COMMON ORANGE Ceriagrion katamborae KATAMBORA ORANGE Ceriagrion kordofanicum KORDOFAN ORANGE Ceriagrion suave SUAVE ORANGE Ceriagrion whellani WHELLAN’S ORANGE Pseudagrion acaciae ACACIA SPRITE * Pseudagrion angolense ANGOLAN SPRITE Pseudagrion assegaii ASSEGAI SPRITE Pseudagrion caffrum SPRINGWATER SPRITE Pseudagrion citricola YELLOW-FACED SPRITE Pseudagrion coeleste coeleste CATSHEAD SPRITE Pseudagrion coeleste umsingaziense UMSINGAZI SPRITE Pseudagrion commoniae BLACK SPRITE Pseudagrion deningi DENING’S SPRITE Pseudagrion draconis MOUNTAIN SPRITE Pseudagrion fisheri FISHER’S SPRITE Pseudagrion furcigerum CAPE SPRITE Pseudagrion gamblesi GAMBLE’S SPRITE Pseudagrion glaucescens GLAUCOUS SPRITE Pseudagrion hageni hageni HAGEN’S SPRITE Pseudagrion hageni tropicalis HAGEN’S SPRITE * Pseudagrion hamoni (=whellani) HAMON’S SPRITE * Pseudagrion helenae HELEN’S SPRITE Pseudagrion inconspicuum INCONSPICUOUS SPRITE Pseudagrion inopinatum BALINSKY’S SPRITE Pseudagrion kersteni KERSTEN’S SPRITE * Pseudagrion makabusiense MAKABUSI SPRITE Pseudagrion massaicum MASAI SPRITE Pseudagrion newtoni NEWTON’S SPRITE Pseudagrion nubicum NUBIAN SPRITE Pseudagrion rufostigma RUBY SPRITE Pseudagrion salisburyense SALISBURY SPRITE Pseudagrion sjoestedti SJOSTEDT’S SPRITE Pseudagrion spernatum NATAL SPRITE Pseudagrion sublacteum (=pseudomassaicum) CHERRY-EYE SPRITE Pseudagrion sudanicum SUDAN SPRITE * Pseudagrion vaalense VAAL SPRITE Pseudagrion vumbaense VUMBA SPRITE Aciagrion africanum AFRICAN SLIM Aciagrion gracile GRACIOUS SLIM Aciagrion heterosticta LONG SLIM Aciagrion pinheyi PINHEY’S SLIM Aciagrion steeleae STEELE’S SLIM Ishnura senegalensis COMMON BLUETAIL Africallagma angolicum ANGOLA BLUET Africallagma cuneistigma CHIMANIMANI BLUET Africallagma elongatum SLENDER BLUET Africallagma glaucum SWAMP BLUET Africallagma sapphirinum SAPPHIRE BLUET Africallagma sinuatum ARID BLUET Africallagma subtile PALE BLUET Azuragrion nigridorsum BLACK-TAILED BLUET Proischnura polychromatica CAPE BLUET Proischnura rotundipennis ROUND-WINGED BLUET Proischnura subfurcata FORK-TAILED BLUET Pinheyagrion angolicum ANGOLA BLUET Agriocnemis angolensis ANGOLA WHISP Agriocnemis exilis LITTLE WHISP Agriocnemis falcifera WHITE-MASKED WHISP Agriocnemis gratiosa GRACIOUS WHISP Agriocnemis pinheyi PINHEY’S WHISP Agriocnemis ruberrima ORANGE WHISP Agriocnemis victoria VICTORIA WHISP Phaon iridipennis GLISTENING DEMOISELLE Chlorocypha consueta RUBY JEWEL Platycypha caligata DANCING JEWEL * Platycypha fitzsimonsi FITZSIMON’S JEWEL Anisoptera Ictinogomphus dundoensis SWAMP TIGERTAIL Ictinogomphus ferox COMMON TIGERTAIL * Gomphidia quarrei QUARRE’S FINGERTAIL Microgomphus mozambicensis Microgomphus nyassicus Lestinogomphus angustus SLENDER FAIRYTAIL (COMMON FAIRYTAIL) Lestinogomphus silkeae SILKE’S FAIRYTAIL Notogomphus dendrohyrax Notogomphus praetorius YELLOWJACK Notogomphus zernyi Neurogomphus cocytius KOKYTOS SIPHONTAIL Neurogomphus zambeziensis ZAMBEZI SIPHONTAIL Phyllogomphus selysi BOLD LEAFTAIL Crenigomphus cornutus HORNED TALONTAIL Crenigomphus hartmanni HARTMANN’S TALONTAIL Crenigomphus kavangoensis KAVANGO TALONTAIL Ceratogomphus pictus COMMON THORNTAIL Ceratogomphus triceraticus BALINSKY’S THORNTAIL Paragomphus acuminatus Paragomphus cataractae CATARACT HOOKTAIL Paragomphus cognatus ROCK HOOKTAIL Paragomphus elpidiusCORKSCREW HOOKTAIL * Paragomphus genei GREEN HOOKTAIL (COMMON HOOKTAIL) * Paragomphus magnus GIANT HOOKTAIL Paragomphus nyassicus NYASA HOOKTAIL Paragomphus sabicusCLUBBED HOOKTAIL * Paragomphus zambeziensis ZAMBEZI HOOKTAIL Microgomphus mozambicensis Microgomphus nyassicus Onychogomphus supinus CLASPERTAIL Aeshna ellioti ELIOT’S HAWKER Aeshna minuscula FRIENDLY HAWKER Aeshna subpupillata STREAM HAWKER Anaciaeschna triangulifera EVENING HAWKER Anax bangweuluensis SWAMP EMPEROR Anax ephippiger VAGRANT EMPEROR * Anax imperator BLUE EMPEROR Anax speratus ORANGE EMPEROR Anax tristis BLACK EMPEROR Gynacantha manderica LITTLE DUSK-HAWKER Gynacantha villosa HAIRY DUSK-HAWKER Gynacantha vesiculata Gynacantha usambarica (=zuluensis) ZULU DUSK-HAWKER Syncordulia gracilis YELLOW PRESBA (YELLOW CRUISER) Syncordulia legator GILDED PRESBA Syncordulia serendipator RUSTIC PRESBA Syncordulia venator MAHOGANY PRESBA (CHESTNUT CRUISER) Hemicordulia africana AFRICAN EMERALD Phyllomacromia contumax (=bifasciata) TWO-BANDED CRUISER * Phyllomacromia congolica Phyllomacromia kimminsi KIMMINS’ CRUISER Phyllomacromia monoceros BLACK CRUISER Phyllomacromia overlaeti (=paludosa) CLUBBED CRUISER Phyllomacromia picta DARTING CRUISER Tetrathemis polleni BLACK-SPLASH Notiothemis jonesi FOREST-WATCHER Hadrothemis scabifrons Orthetrum abbotti ABBOTT’S SKIMMER (LITTLE SKIMMER) Orthetrum brachiale STRONG SKIMMER (RIVER SKIMMER) Orthetrum caffrum TWO-STRIPED SKIMMER Orthetrum chrysostigma EPAULET SKIMMER Orthetrum guineense GUINEA SKIMMER Orthetrum hintzi HINTZ’S SKIMMER Orthetrum icteromelas SPECTACLED SKIMMER Orthetrum julia capicola JULIA SKIMMER Orthetrum julia falsum JULIA SKIMMER Orthetrum machadoi MACHADO’S SKIMMER Orthetrum robustum ROBUST SKIMMER Orthetrum rubens RUBY SKIMMER Orthetrum stemmale TOUGH SKIMMER Orthetrum trinacria LONG SKIMMER Nesciothemis farinosa BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER Nesciothemis minor Palpopleura deceptor DECEPTIVE WIDOW Palpopleura jucunda YELLOW-VEINED WIDOW Palpopleura lucia LUCIA WIDOW (BLACK-WINGED WIDOW) Palpopleura portia PORTIA WIDOW (SHADOW-BRIDGE WIDOW) * Aethiothemis discrepans PEARL-SPOT Chalcostephia flavifrons INSPECTOR Hemistigma albipunctum PIED-SPOT Eleuthemis buettikoferi Porpax risi Acisoma panorpoides PINTAIL Diplacodes deminuta (=okavangoensis) OKAVANGO PERCHER Diplacodes lefebvrii BLACK PERCHER Diplacodes luminans BARBET Diplacodes pumila LITTLE PERCHER Crocothemis divisa DIVISA SCARLET (PALE SCARLET) Crocothemis erythraea BROAD SCARLET Crocothemis sanguinolenta LITTLE SCARLET (SMALL SCARLET) Crocothemis saxicolor ROCK SCARLET Bradinopyga cornuta DON-DWALA (HORNED ROCK-DWELLER) * Brachythemis lacustris RED GROUNDLING * Brachythemis leucosticta BANDED GROUNDLING Brachythemis wilsoni WILSON’S GROUNDLING Sympetrum fonscolombii NOMAD (RED-VEINED DARTER) Sympetrum navasi SWAMP DARTER Atoconeura biordinata Trithemis aconita MONKSHOOD DROPWING Trithemis aequalis (=falconis) DARK DROPWING Trithemis annulata VIOLET DROPWING * Trithemis arteriosa RED-VEINED DROPWING Trithemis bifida Trithemis brydeni BRYDEN’S DROPWING Trithemis donaldsoni DONALDSON’S DROPWING * Trithemis dorsalis DORSAL DROPWING Trithemis furva NAVY DROPWING Trithemis hecate HECATE DROPWING Trithemis kirbyi KIRBY’S DROPWING (ROCK DROPWING) Trithemis monardi MONARD'S DROPWING Trithemis pluvialis RIVER DROPWING * Trithemis stictica JAUNTY DROPWING Trithemis werneri WERNER’S DROPWING (ELEGANT DROPWING) Zygonyx natalensis BLUE CASCADER Zygonyx torridus RINGED CASCADER Zygonoides fuelleborni FUELLEBORN’S BOTTLETAIL * Olpogastra lugubris SLENDER BOTTLETAIL Rhyothemis fenestrina BLACK-WINGED FLUTTERER Rhyothemis mariposa BUTTERFLY FLUTTERER Rhyothemis semihyalina PHANTOM FLUTTERER Zyxomma atlanticum LITTLE DUSK-DARTER Parazyxomma flavicans BANDED DUSK-DARTER Tholymis tillarga TWISTER Pantala flavescens PANTALA (GLOBAL WANDERER) * Tramea basilare KEYHOLE GLIDER Tramea continentale FERRUGINOUS GLIDER Urothemis assignata RED BASKER Urothemis edwardsii BLUE BASKER Urothemis luciana ST LUCIA BASKER Aethriamanta rezia PYGMY BASKER Macrodiplax cora CORA’S PENNANT