# 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

#### Family: Calopterygidae - Jewelwings

| Common name | Binomial |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Cryptic spreadwing | Lestes dissimulans |
| Tawny spreadwing | Lestes ictericus |
| Pallid spreadwing | Lestes pallidus |

#### Family: Platycnemididae - Threadtails

| Common name | Binomial |
| 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.

#### Family: Aeshnidae - Hawkers

| Common name | Binomial |
| 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 |
| 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 |

#### Family: Lindeniidae -

| Common name | Binomial | Local subspecies | Male | Female |
| Ictinogomphus fraseri | Ictinogomphus fraseri | | | |

#### Family: Macromiidae - Cruisers

| Common name | Binomial |
| Phyllomacromia africana | Phyllomacromia africana |
| Phyllomacromia contumax | Phyllomacromia contumax |
| Phyllomacromia overlaeti | Phyllomacromia overlaeti |