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

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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

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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

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

Family: Chlorocyphidae - Jewels

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

Family: Coenagrionidae - Narrow-winged damselflies

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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

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

Family: Platycnemididae - Threadtails

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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.

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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

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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

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Idomacromia lieftincki

Family: Gomphidae - Club-tail dragonflies

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
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

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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
Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Ictinogomphus fraseri Ictinogomphus fraseri

Family: Macromiidae - Cruisers

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Common name Binomial Local subspecies Male Female
Phyllomacromia africana Phyllomacromia africana
Phyllomacromia contumax Phyllomacromia contumax  
Phyllomacromia overlaeti Phyllomacromia overlaeti

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Deliry, Cyrille (2022-10-13). "ODONATES DU SÉNÉGAL". Société d’odonatologie francophone. Retrieved 2022-10-27.