![dragonfly habitat](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/themes/madhat-child/images/habitat-1.jpg)
![dragonfly](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/themes/madhat-child/images/dragonflies-1.jpg)
Introducing Dragonflies
The order Odonata consists of two suborders: Damselflies – Zygoptera, and true Dragonflies – Anisoptera. It is thought to be a very old order going back some 300 million years.
There are close to 6000 species in the world (mid-2017), with 120 species found in Europe. Nearly 170 species have been found in Southern Africa, with some 850 species thought to occur in the African continent south of the Sahara.
Although my present list of species is fairly modest, I have been able to study several species in detail and I have presented the various immature and mature colour vars. found in Ischnura elegans, as set out in K-D Dijkstra's excellent book, (see list below).
I hope that you enjoy the photographs of these amazing and beautiful insects, and will leave a comment if appropriate.
![dragonfly](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/themes/madhat-child/images/dragonflies-2.jpg)
![dragonfly](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/themes/madhat-child/images/dragonflies-3.jpg)
Tramea limbata. Ferruginous Glider.
![ea limbata. Ferruginous Glider.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0312-2-1.jpg)
Tramea basilaris. Keyhole Glider.
![Tramea basilaris. Keyhole Glider.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0096-2.jpg)
Trithemis stictica. Jaunty Dropwing.
![Trithemis stictica. Jaunty Dropwing.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0514-2.jpg)
Trithemis pluvialis. Russet Dropwing.
![Trithemis pluvialis. Russet Dropwing.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0668-2.jpg)
Trithemis arteriosa. Red-veined Dropwing.
![Trithemis arteriosa. Red-veined Dropwing.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0341-2.jpg)
Sympetrum fonscolombii. Nomad.
![Sympetrum fonscolombii. Nomad.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0902-2.jpg)
Crocothemis sanguinolenta. Little Scarlet.
![Crocothemis sanguinolenta. Little Scarlet.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0252-2.jpg)
Crocothemis erythraea. Broad Scarlet.
![Crocothemis erythraea. Broad Scarlet.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0242-2.jpg)
Nesciothemis farinosa. Eastern Blacktail.
![Nesciothemis farinosa. Eastern Blacktail.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0683-2.jpg)
Orthetrum trinacria. Long Skimmer.
![Orthetrum trinacria. Long Skimmer.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0910-2.jpg)
Orthetrum julia capicola. Cape Skimmer.
![Orthetrum julia capicola. Cape Skimmer.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_0166-2.jpg)
Libellula fulva. Blue Chaser.
![Libellula fulva](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_0008-2.jpg)
Orthetrum coerulescens
![Orthetrum coerulescens. Keeled Skimmer.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_0146-3.jpg)
Sympetrum striolatum
![Sympetrum striolatum](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_0115-4.jpg)
Sympetrum sanguineum
![Sympetrum sanguineum](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_0103-3.jpg)
Sympetrum fonscolombii. (Selys, 1840). Red-veined Darter.
![Sympetrum fonscolombii. Red-veined Darter.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_0030-2.jpg)
Selysiothemis nigra
![Selysiothemis nigra](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/IMG_0235-3.jpg)
Crocothemis erythraea
![Crocothemis erythracea](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/031e-3-1.jpg)
Trithemis annulata. (Palisot de Beauvois, 1807). Violet Dropwing.
![Trithemis annulata. Violet Dropwing.](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_0069-2.jpg)
Orthetrum cancellatum
![Orthetrum cancellatum](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/099-3.jpg)
Orthetrum brunneum
![Orthetrum coerulescens](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/072e-2.jpg)
Libellula depressa
![Libellula depressa](http://mynaturephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/161-3.jpg)