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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.
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Tramea limbata. Ferruginous Glider.
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Tramea basilaris. Keyhole Glider.
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Trithemis stictica. Jaunty Dropwing.
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Trithemis pluvialis. Russet Dropwing.
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Trithemis arteriosa. Red-veined Dropwing.
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Sympetrum fonscolombii. Nomad.
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Crocothemis sanguinolenta. Little Scarlet.
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Crocothemis erythraea. Broad Scarlet.
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Nesciothemis farinosa. Eastern Blacktail.
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Orthetrum trinacria. Long Skimmer.
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Orthetrum julia capicola. Cape Skimmer.
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Trithemis annulata. (Palisot de Beauvois, 1807). Violet Dropwing.
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Sympetrum fonscolombii. (Selys, 1840). Red-veined Darter.
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Libellula fulva. Blue Chaser.
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Orthetrum coerulescens
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Selysiothemis nigra
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Crocothemis erythraea
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Sympetrum striolatum
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Sympetrum sanguineum
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Orthetrum cancellatum
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Orthetrum brunneum
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Libellula depressa
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Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Large Red Damselfly.
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Azuragrion nigridorsum. Sailing Bluet.
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Africallagma glaucum. Swamp Bluet.
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Ischnura senegalensis. Tropical Bluetail.
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Ceriagrion glabrum. Common Citril.
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Pseudagrion furcigerum. Palmiet Sprite.
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Pseudagrion draconis. Mountain Sprite.
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Ischnura pumilio. (Charpentier, 1825). Small Bluetail.
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Coenagrion scitulum. (Rambur). Dainty Bluet.
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Pyrrhosoma elisabethae. Greek Red Damsel.
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Coenagrion puella
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Enallagma cyathigerum
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Ischnura elegans
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