List of Odonata species of Senegal

Senegal is a semi-arid country situated at the western tip of Africa. The following is a list of the dragonflies and damselflies that have been documented in Senegal. Due to a lack of biological surveys in this area, this list is likely to be incomplete.

Dragonflies & Damselflies

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata

Dragonflies are predators. The larvae inhabit water and adults fly near aquatic places. They are diverse in color and shape. There are major 2 types of odonates in the world; they are dragonflies and damselflies. The eyes are closer together in dragonflies, and their wings are held broadly opened from the body. They are robust in nature. In contrast, damselflies are delicately built small odonates, with well separated compound eyes. During rest, they do not expand their wings; the wings are folded over the abdomen or slightly spread.

Damselflies are categorized in to Suborder: Zygoptera; and dragonflies into Suborder: Anisoptera. 106 described species from 11 families can be found in Senegal.

Suborder: Zygoptera - Damselflies

Damselflies are insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller, have slimmer bodies, and most species fold the wings along the body when at rest. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

All damselflies are predatory; both nymphs and adults eat other insects. The nymphs are aquatic, with different species living in a variety of freshwater habitats including acid bogs, ponds, lakes and rivers. The nymphs moult repeatedly, at the last moult climbing out of the water to undergo metamorphosis. The skin splits down the back, they emerge and inflate their wings and abdomen to gain their adult form. Their presence on a body of water indicates that it is relatively unpolluted, but their dependence on freshwater makes them vulnerable to damage to their wetland habitats.

The following 31 Damselfly species have been documented in Senegal^[1]

Family: Calopterygidae - Jewelwings

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Glistening Demoiselle	Phaon iridipennis
Smokewing/Cloudwing/Mistwing	Sapho fumosa
Sapho infumosa	Sapho infumosa

Family: Chlorocyphidae - Jewels

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Blue-tipped jewel	Chlorocypha curta
Little red jewel	Chlorocypha dispar

Family: Coenagrionidae - Narrow-winged damselflies

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Aciagrion africanum	Aciagrion africanum
Africallagma subtile	Africallagma subtile
Agriocnemis exilis	Agriocnemis exilis
Agriocnemis maclachlani	Agriocnemis maclachlani
Victoria wisp	Agriocnemis victoria
Agriocnemis zerafica	Agriocnemis zerafica
Azuragrion vansomereni	Azuragrion vansomereni
Ceriagrion corallinum	Ceriagrion corallinum
Common orange	Ceriagrion glabrum
Ceriagrion suave	Ceriagrion suave
Marsh bluetail	Ischnura senegalensis
Pseudagrion camerunense	Pseudagrion camerunense
Pseudagrion emarginatum	Pseudagrion emarginatum
Pseudagrion glaucescens	Pseudagrion glaucescens
Swarthy sprite	Pseudagrion hamoni
Black-and-yellow sprite	Pseudagrion melanicterum
Bluetail sprite	Pseudagrion nubicum
Cherry-eye sprite	Pseudagrion sublacteum
Pseudagrion torridum	Pseudagrion torridum

Family: Lestidae - Spreadwings

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Cryptic spreadwing	Lestes dissimulans
Tawny spreadwing	Lestes ictericus
Pallid spreadwing	Lestes pallidus

Family: Platycnemididae - Threadtails

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Black threadtail	Elattoneura nigra
Elattoneura pluotae	Elattoneura pluotae
Mesocnemis dupuyi	Mesocnemis dupuyi
Platycnemis sikassoensis	Platycnemis sikassoensis

Suborder: Anisoptera - Dragonflies.

A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos "uneven" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold the wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural coloration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly eye has nearly 24,000 ommatidia.

Dragonflies are predators, both in their aquatic larval stage, when they are known as nymphs or naiads, and as adults. Several years of their lives are spent as nymphs living in fresh water; the adults may be on the wing for just a few days or weeks. They are fast, agile fliers, sometimes migrating across oceans, and are often found near water.

The following 75 Dragonfly species have been documented in Senegal.^[1]

Family: Aeshnidae - Hawkers

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Vagrant Emperor	Anax ephippiger
emperor	Anax imperator
Lesser emperor	Anax parthenope
Black emperor	Anax tristis
Gynacantha manderica	Gynacantha manderica

Family: Corduliidae - Emeralds

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
	Idomacromia lieftincki

Family: Gomphidae - Club-tail dragonflies

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies
Western Talontail	Crenigomphus renei
Fraser's flangetail	Ictinogomphus fraseri
African fairytail	Lestinogomphus africanus
Neurogomphus featheri	Neurogomphus featheri
Lined caspertail	Onychogomphus supinus	xerophilus
Phyllogomphus aethiops	Phyllogomphus aethiops
Phyllogomphus occidentalis	Phyllogomphus occidentalis
Phyllogomphus pseudoccidentalis	Phyllogomphus pseudoccidentalis

Family: Libellulidae - Skimmers

Common name	Binomial	Local subspecies	Male	Female
Stout pintail	Acisoma inflatum
Ivory pintail	Acisoma trifidum
Orange flasher	Aethiothemis mediofasciata
Aethiothemis palustris	Aethiothemis palustris
Aethiothemis solitaria	Aethiothemis solitaria
Pygmy basker	Aethriamanta rezia
Northern banded groundling	Brachythemis impartita
Brachythemis lacustris	Brachythemis lacustris
Southern banded groundling	Brachythemis leucosticta
Red rockdweller	Bradinopyga strachani
Inspector	Chalcostephia flavifrons
Rock scarlet	Crocothemis divisa
Scarlet darter	Crocothemis erythraea
Black percher	Diplacodes lefebvrii
Hadrothemis defecta	Hadrothemis defecta
Piedspot	Hemistigma albipunctum
Slender bottletail	Olpogastra lugubris
Abbott's skimmer	Orthetrum abbotti
Orthetrum angustiventre	Orthetrum angustiventre
Tough skimmer	Orthetrum brachiale
Epaulet skimmer	Orthetrum chrysostigma
Orthetrum guineense	Orthetrum guineense
Orthetrum hintzi	Orthetrum hintzi
Spectacled skimmer	Orthetrum icteromelas
Julia skimmer	Orthetrum julia
Orthetrum monardi	Orthetrum monardi
Orthetrum stemmale	Orthetrum stemmale
Long skimmer	Orthetrum trinacria
Pepperpants	Oxythemis phoenicosceles
Deceptive widow	Palpopleura deceptor
Lucia widow	Palpopleura lucia
Portia widow	Palpopleura portia
Globe skimmer	Pantala flavescens
Banded duskdarter	Parazyxomma flavicans
Black-winged flutterer	Rhyothemis fenestrina
Phantom flutterer	Rhyothemis semihyalina
Red-veined darter	Sympetrum fonscolombei
Tetrathemis camerunensis	Tetrathemis camerunensis
Black-splashed elf	Tetrathemis polleni
Coral-tailed cloudwing	Tholymis tillarga
Keyhole glider	Tramea basilaris
Ferruginous glider	Tramea limbata
Halfshade dropwing	Trithemis aconita
Bronze dropwing	Trithemis aenea
Violet dropwing	Trithemis annulata
Red-veined dropwing	Trithemis arteriosa
Trithemis bifida	Trithemis bifida
Small dropwing	Trithemis dichroa
Black dropwing	Trithemis grouti
Trithemis hecate	Trithemis hecate
Kalula dropwing	Trithemis kalula
Kirby's dropwing	Trithemis kirbyi
Trithemis pruinata	Trithemis pruinata
Red basker	Urothemis assignata
Urothemis edwardsii	Urothemis edwardsii
Zygonyx torridus	Zygonyx torridus
Zyxomma atlanticum	Zyxomma atlanticum