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List of Odonata species of Senegal

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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

Family: Lindeniidae -

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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.