Attribution: Quartl (Wikipedia Creative Commons)

 

DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES (ODONATA)

 

Dragonflies and damselflies are important animals associated with permanent and ephemeral bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, swamps, and marshes. They are aesthetic and seemingly magical creatures that come in a wide range of colours. Their bejeweled wings, large compound eyes, and speed and aerial behaviours are characteristic. Their larvae, developing underwater, are also valuable bioindicators of water health. There are around 50 species of dragonflies and damselflies in Lebanon, many of them endemic and threatened. Some species are also migratory, probably triggered by droughts and other environmental stimuli. They might be seen darting around, basking in the sun, wing whirring to generate heat, or obelisking to cool off. However, with pollution piling up, local water resources drying up, and global warming taking its toll, the conservation of these animals becomes the more urgent.

Please click on each dragonfly species to read its individual description and view the images. Photograph credits and licenses are clickable on each page. These field tools will help you identify dragonflies in the wild.

 

 

ODALISQUE Epallage fatime

CLEAR-WINGED DEMOISELLE Calopteryx hyalina

SYRIAN DEMOISELLE Calopteryx syriaca

EASTERN WILLOW SPREADWING Chalcolestes parvidens

SOUTHERN EMERALD DAMSELFLY Lestes barbarus

SMALL EMERALD SPREADWING Lestes virens

BLUE FEATHERLEG Platycnemis pennipes

POWDERED FEATHERLEG Platycnemis kervillei

IVORY FEATHERLEG Platycnemis dealbata

SYRIAN SPRITE Pseudagrion syriacum

COMMON WINTER DAMSELFLY Sympecma fusca

COMMON BLUETAIL Ischnura elegans

TURKISH RED DAMSEL Ceriagrion georgifreyi

DAINTY BLUET Coenagrion scitulum

SYRIAN BLUET Coenagrion syriacum

ORNATE BLUET Coenagrion ornatum

BLUE-EYE Erythromma lindenii

SMALL REDEYE Erythromma viridulum

MIGRANT HAWKER Aeshna mixta

GREEN-EYED HAWKER Aeshna isoceles

MAGNIFICENT EMPEROR Anax immaculifrons

VAGRANT EMPEROR Anax ephippiger

LESSER EMPEROR Anax parthenope

BLUE EMPEROR Anax imperator

EASTERN SPECTRE Caliaeschna microstigma

BLADETAIL Lindenia tetraphylla

SYRIAN CLUBTAIL Stylurus ubadschii

LEVANT CLUBTAIL Gomphus davidi

LEVANT PINCERTAIL Onychogomphus macrodon

PALE PINCERTAIL Onychogomphus lefebvrii

BLUE-EYED GOLDENRING Cordulegaster insignis

COMMON HOOKTAIL Paragomphus genei

COMMON DARTER Sympetrum striolatum

RUDDY DARTER Sympetrum sanguineum

RED-VEINED DARTER Sympetrum fonscolombii

SOUTHERN DARTER Sympetrum meridionale

DARK-WINGED GROUNDLING Brachythemis fuscopalliata

BANDED GROUNDLING Brachythemis impartita

BROAD SCARLET Crocothemis erythraea

ORIENTAL SCARLET Crocothemis servilia

BROAD-BODIED CHASER Libellula depressa

RED CHASER Libellula pontica

BLACK PERCHER Diplacodes lefebvrii

WANDERING GLIDER Pantala flavescens

SOUTHERN SKIMMER Orthetrum brunneum

SMALL SKIMMER Orthetrum taeniolatum

EPAULET SKIMMER Orthetrum chrysostigma

KEELED SKIMMER Orthetrum coerulescens

BLACK PENNANT Selysiothemis nigra

BLUE BASKER Urothemis edwardsii

RED-VEINED DROPWING Trithemis arteriosa

VIOLET DROPWING Trithemis annulata