

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.


Africallagma glaucum. Swamp Bluet.

Azuragrion nigridorsum. Sailing Bluet.

Ceriagrion glabrum. Common Citril.

Coenagrion puella

Coenagrion scitulum. (Rambur). Dainty Bluet.

Enallagma cyathigerum

Ischnura elegans

Ischnura pumilio. (Charpentier, 1825). Small Bluetail.

Ischnura senegalensis. Tropical Bluetail.

Pseudagrion draconis. Mountain Sprite.

Pseudagrion furcigerum. Palmiet Sprite.

Pyrrhosoma elisabethae. Greek Red Damsel.

Pyrrhosoma nymphula. Large Red Damselfly.

Crocothemis erythraea

Crocothemis erythraea. Broad Scarlet.

Crocothemis sanguinolenta. Little Scarlet.

Libellula depressa

Libellula fulva. Blue Chaser.

Nesciothemis farinosa. Eastern Blacktail.

Orthetrum brunneum

Orthetrum cancellatum

Orthetrum coerulescens

Orthetrum julia capicola. Cape Skimmer.

Orthetrum trinacria. Long Skimmer.

Selysiothemis nigra

Sympetrum fonscolombii. (Selys, 1840). Red-veined Darter.

Sympetrum fonscolombii. Nomad.

Sympetrum sanguineum

Sympetrum striolatum

Tramea basilaris. Keyhole Glider.

Tramea limbata. Ferruginous Glider.

Trithemis annulata. (Palisot de Beauvois, 1807). Violet Dropwing.

Trithemis arteriosa. Red-veined Dropwing.

Trithemis pluvialis. Russet Dropwing.

Trithemis stictica. Jaunty Dropwing.
