Dragonfly Who’s Who
A selection of the commoner dragonflies and damselflies are given below, with descriptions and notes to help you identify specimens you might see (frequency notes refer to how common they are at wetland or similar habitats):
| Migrant Hawker |
| Aesthna mixta |
| Appearance: This large species appears overall blue but on close inspection its abdomen is striped blue and brown. |
| Flies: late in the year (October – November) |
| Additional notes: Common |
| Caliaeschna microstigma |
| Appearance: Mottled blue-black, wings tinged brown. |
| Flies: mid June – October |
| Additional notes: Found near fast flowing water. |
| Cordulegaster insignis insignis |
| Appearance: Unmistakable with their bright yellow and black abdomens. |
| Flies: June and July |
| Additional notes: Only found near fast flowing water, common high in the mountains. |
| Scarlet Dragonfly |
| Crocothemis erythraea |
| Appearance: Males are easily distinguished with their red bodies, females are yellowish. |
| Flies: May to October |
| Additional notes: Quite common |
| Broad-bodied Chaser |
| Libellula depressa |
| Appearance: Mature males have a powdery blue coating over their broad abdomen. |
| Flies: early in the summer |
| Additional notes: High Altitude pools |
| Black-tailed Skimmer |
| Orthetrum cancellatum |
| Appearance: Males are usually powdery blue but the females, as here, are yellow. |
| Flies: May to July |
| Additional notes: Common |
| Yellow-winged Darter |
| Sympetrum flaveolum |
| Appearance: As its name suggests it has characteristic yellow wings. |
| Additional notes: Near still water with fringing dense vegetation but it migrates so can be found elsewhere. |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
| Ischnura elegans ebneri |
| Appearance: Bright blue and black, in the male, the females are blue with reddish, as here. |
| Flies: April to September |
| Additional notes: Very common |
| Azure Damselfly |
| Coenagrion puella syriaca |
| Appearance: Bright blue with a black mark at the end of each segment, females can be green. |
| Flies: April to June |
| Additional notes: Very common |
| Lestes virens virens |
| Appearance: Unique bright metallic green color. |
| Flies: May to October |
| Additional notes: Very common |
| Platycnemis dealbata |
| Appearance: Uniquely this species is almost pure white. |
| Flies: May to August |
| Additional notes: Common |