Field Guide to the

Dragonfliesof Britain and Europe

All the resident and migrant dragonflies and damselflies from the Arctic to the Sahara. Almost 1,000 illustrations

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Publication June 2006

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Klaas-Douwe B Dijkstra Illustrated by Richard Lewington

Field Guide to the

Dragonfliesof Britain and Europe

All the resident and migrant dragonflies and damselflies from the Arctic to the Sahara. Almost 1,000 illustrations

Klaas-Douwe B DijkstraIllustrated by Richard Lewington

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The essential companion for the new generation of dragonfl y watchers

Presented in an accessible easy-to-use format

A superb new guide to allthe dragonflies and damselflies of Britain and Europe216 x 135mm, 320 pagesFull colour throughout, paperback (also available in hardback)General editor Klaas-Douwe B DijkstraIllustrated by Richard Lewington

This new identification guide to all the dragonflies and damselflies of Britain and Europe brings some of the top field experts from across the Continent together with Richard Lewington, generally accepted to be Europe's foremost illustrator of insects.

The guide covers all of Europe, from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean basin, including western Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Azores, Canaries and Madeira.

◆ Almost 1,000 superbly detailed colour artworks, line drawings and photographs of all 160 species of Odonata recorded from Europe, western Turkey and North Africa

◆ Includes field descriptions and keys by some of Europe's leading dragonfly experts, including: Henri Dumont, Reinhard Jödicke, Vincent Kalkman, Andreas Martens, Ole Müller, Göran Sahlén, Frank Suhling, Gert-Jan van Pelt, Hansrüdi Wildermuth, as well as Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra

◆ Comprehensive texts and innovative keys and identification tables for adults of each species, including: field characters, hand characters, variation, behaviour, range and status, habitat and flight season

◆ Artworks illustrating males and females, immatures, varieties, side views and details of important characters

◆ Up-to-date, newly-researched distribution maps for every resident species

◆ Comprehensive introduction to studying and identifying dragonflies

◆ Country-by-country guide to finding dragonflies throughout Europe and North Africa and Turkey, written by a team of regional experts, containing much information never published before

◆ Produced and published by British Wildlife Publishing

Publication June 2006

very green

overall

eyes and abdomen

rather pale

�

mature �

‘T’ mark on frons

almost reduced to a

crescent

side of thorax

almost unmarked

prominent

anthumeral stripes

yellowish tinged

wings

mature �

153

very green

overall

the dragonflies and damselflies

Britain and Europe brings some of the top field experts from across the

Mediterranean basin, including western Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Algeria,

photographs of all 160 species of Odonata recorded from Europe, western

Gert-Jan van Pelt, Hansrüdi Wildermuth, as well as Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra

Comprehensive texts and innovative keys and identification tables for adults of each species, including: field characters, hand characters, variation,

Aeshna viridis Eversmann, 1836 Green Hawker

Identifi cation

General A light blue male hawker patrolling

the length of a mass of Water-soldier (Stratiotes

aloides), or a very green female egg-laying in the

heart of a rosette of this plant, are the classic

images of this large aeshnid. The rustling of the

female’s wings as she oviposits is often the fi rst

sign of the species’ presence. This behaviour

demonstrates the species’ dependence on this

spiny water plant. But beware, as a large blue-and-

green dragonfl y above Water-soldier could also be

Anax imperator.

Field characters Tot 65-75, Ab 43-54mm,

Hw 38-45mm. Slightly smaller than A. juncea.

Mark on the fremely thin stalk,

appearing as a single black cr

a ‘T’. Thorax with two broad green antehumeral

stripes, as in A. cyanea, but all-green sides have

scarcely discernible black lines. Eyes and abdomen

spots pale blue in the mature male, green in

females and fresh males. Leading edges of rather

yellowish-tinged wings are bright yellow, as

opposed to dark brown in A. cyanea. Superfi cially

similar to Anax imperator, which differs in many

details of markings, most notably by the all-green

thorax. Compare with other green-sided Aeshna,

such as A. affi nis and A. cyanea, which have very

different habitat preferences.

Hand characters No black line on facial suture.

Has small, sharp yellow dot behind the eyes, which

is not as clearly visible in side view as in A. cyanea,

A. affi nis lacks such dots.

Behaviour Normally found close to Water-soldier

swamps but may travel further afi eld to hunt, often

in clearings and along roadsides at dusk, gathering

at suitable sites in some numbers. Seeks the shelter

ough herbage, reeds and coppices in open

landscapes, often found resting low down in such

vegetation.

Occurrence

Range and status Habitat specialisation makes this

species scarce and under threat in much of its range.

Habitat Marshlands, ditches and lakes with

sizeable masses of Water Soldier.

Flight season From late June onwards, perhaps

occasionally to early October; most abundant in

August.

� Aeshna viridis female.

HD IV

152

Gomphus graslinii Rambur, 1842 Pronged Clubtail

Identifi cation

General A bright yellow clubtail with such

prominently-toothed male appendages that it can

be identifi ed by this feature without capture. The

species occurs only in France, Spain and Portugal.

Field characters Tot 47-50mm, Ab 33-38mm,

Hw 27-30mm. Fairly weakly club-tailed; S8-9

are only slightly widened. A richly coloured

Gomphus with a bright yellow body, sharp black

markings and bright blue eyes. Blacker than the

co-occurring G. simillimus and G. pulchellus, but

yellower than G. vulgatissimus (see these species).

(1) Yellow antehumeral stripe is much thinner

than the black stripes fl anking it. The anterior

black stripe is especially broad, and its dorsal end

often connects with the black markings anterior

and/or posterior of it. This confi guration recalls G.

vulgatissimus; in G. simillimus the antehumeral and

its fl anking stripes are all about equally thick, and

the anterior one is dorsally unconnected. (2) S9

has a yellow posterior border, appearing like the

foot of a goblet-shaped central yellow marking. G.

vulgatissimus is all-black dorsally. In G. simillimus

the posterior border of S9 is black, although

sometimes the yellow central marking reaches it.

(3) The legs are black, typically with yellow lines

only on the femora. G. simillimus always has lines

also on the tibiae; G. vulgatissimus typically has

all-black legs.

Hand characters The male’s upper appendages

each have a large lateral tooth, making them

appear forked. This unique character is often visible

through binoculars. The posterior hamule is also

distinctive, with a prominent, but blunt, point.

This point is very sharp in G. vulgatissimus and G.

simillimus, but is absent in G. pulchellus.

Occurrence

Range and status Endemic to south-western

France (where locally common) and Iberia

(widespread but rather scarce). Due to its restricted

range and the frequent alteration of river habitats

� secondary

genitalia

mature �, rather green individual

�

� appendages

� vulvar scale

pale antehumeral

stripe narrower

than adjoining black

stripes

yellow posterior

band to S9

forms foot of

goblet-shaped

marking

legs black with yellow

stripes, tibiae often

all-black

forked male

appendages

blunt posterior

hamule

VU*HD II + IV

185

Gomphu

Identifi

General

prominently-toothed male appendages that it can

be identifi

species occurs only in France, Spain and Portugal.

Field characters

Hw 27-30mm. Fairly weakly club-tailed; S8-9

are only slightly widened. A richly colour

Gomphus

markings and bright blue eyes. Blacker than the

co-occurring

yellower than

(1) Y

than the black stripes

black stripe is especially br

often connects with the black markings anterior

and/or posterior of it. This confi

vulgatissimus

its

��� appendages appendages appendages

blunt posterior

hamule

Presented in an accessible easy-to-use format

side of thorax

almost unmarkedside of thorax

almost unmarked

sign of the species’ presence. This behaviour

demonstrates the species’ dependence on this

spiny water plant. But beware, as a large blue-and-

y above Water-soldier could also be

Anax imperator.Anax imperator.Anax imperator

Field characters Tot 65-75, Ab 43-54mm, Tot 65-75, Ab 43-54mm, T

Hw 38-45mm. Slightly smaller than A. juncea.

Mark on the fremely thin stalk,

appearing as a single black cr

details of markings, most notably by the all-gr

thorax. Compare with other green-sided Aeshna,

such as A. affi nisA. affi nisA. affi and nis and nis A. cyanea, which have very

different habitat preferences.

Hand characters No black line on facial suture.

Has small, sharp yellow dot behind the eyes, which

is not as clearly visible in side view as in A. cyanea,

A. affi nisA. affi nisA. affi lacks such dots. nis lacks such dots. nis

Behaviour Normally found close to Water-soldier

swamps but may travel further afi eld to hunt, often

swamps but may travel further afi eld to hunt, often

swamps but may travel further afi

in clearings and along roadsides at dusk, gathering

at suitable sites in some numbers. Seeks the shelter

ough herbage, reeds and coppices in open

landscapes, often found resting low down in such

vegetation.

Occurrence

Range and status Habitat specialisation makes this

species scarce and under threat in much of its range.

Habitat Marshlands, ditches and lakes with

sizeable masses of Water Soldier.

Flight season From late June onwards, perhaps

occasionally to early October; most abundant in

August.

Gomphus schneiderii Selys, 1840 Turkish Clubtail

Identifi cation

General Replaces G. vulgatissimus in Turkey and

the southern Balkans, but differences are minor

and rather indecisive. The extent of overlap, in a

zone from Montenegro to Thrace, is poorly known.

It is yellower with bluer eyes, therefore appearing

more like other Gomphus species.

Field characters Tot 40-48mm, Ab 30-34mm,

Hw 29-31mm. Generally smaller and more slender

than G. vulgatissimus, differing by the blue (not

greenish) eyes of mature males and larger yellow

markings. Otherwise very similar to that species:

typically mature males have all-black legs without

yellow stripes (exceptions exist!), and at most

yellow basal spots centrally on S8-9. The black

lines on the thorax are thinner, with the yellow

antehumeral stripe about as wide as the black

(humeral) stripe behind it. Yellow markings in

females in particular can be more extensive,

e.g. with yellow-streaked legs, rather like other

Gomphus species. Occurs with G. davidi and G.

ubadschii in Turkey, both of which have large

central yellow markings on S8-9.

Hand characters All structures are very similar

to those of G. vulgatissimus. Male appendages

are black, and shaped almost like those of G.

simillimus.

Occurrence

Range and status Ranges from the southern

Balkans to Iran, Lebanon and the Caucasus. Fairly

widespread in Turkey and southern Greece. Extent

of overlap with G. vulgatissimus is poorly known.

Critical review of records from Albania, Bulgaria

and Montenegro is needed.

Habitat Probably resembles that of G.

vulgatissimus and G. simillimus, breeding in rivers

and streams but also in tiny runnels and large

lakes.

Flight season From April to July; probably most

abundant in May and June.

black legs

mature �

�

blue eyes

at most narrow

central spots on S8-9

� appendages

� vulvar scale

pale antehumeral

stripe similar width

to adjoining black

stripes

anal triangle with 4

or more cells, as in

G. vulgatisimus

184