The skimmers or perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest dragonfly family in the world. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily Macromiinae. Even if these are excluded, there remains a family of over 1000 species. With nearly worldwide distribution, these are almost certainly the most often seen of all dragonflies.
Elliot Charles Gordon Pinhey was an entomologist who worked in Africa and specialised in African Lepidoptera and Odonata. Born of British parents on holiday in Belgium, Pinhey made major contributions in entomology to the knowledge of butterflies, moths and dragonflies. Elliot Pinhey's interest in natural history first developed during his early education in England.
Acisoma panorpoides, the Asian pintail, trumpet tail, or grizzled pintail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Allocnemis, formerly Chlorocnemis, is a genus of damselflies in the family Platycnemididae.
Brachythemis is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as groundlings.
Ceriagrion is a genus of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Species of Ceriagrion are small to medium size, generally brightly coloured damselflies. They are found across the Old World, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Chlorocypha is a genus of damselflies in the family Chlorocyphidae.
Lokia is a genus of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It contains the following species from Uganda and the Congo:
Paragomphus is a genus of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. They are commonly known as hooktails.
Platycnemis is a genus of damselfly in the family Platycnemididae.
Pseudagrion is the largest genus of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae, with over 140 species. Its range includes most of Africa, much of Asia, and Australia. Africa holds most of the diversity with almost 100 species. It has occupied most of the freshwater habitats in its range, and dominates damselfly communities in habitats as different as desert pools, equatorial rainforests and montane streams.
Trithemis is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as dropwings. There are over 40 species, mainly from Africa; two are endemic to Madagascar, and five can be found in Asia. They are found in a wide variety of habitats; some species being adapted to permanent streams in forests, and others being capable of breeding in temporary pools in deserts.
Zygonoides is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. There are large, spectacular species. Three species occur in continental Africa and one, F. lachesis, in Madagascar.
Zygonyx is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as cascaders because of their preference for living beside waterfalls and flying through the spray. They lay their eggs in wet dangling roots.
Porpax is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. The five species in the genus are all endemic to tropical Africa:
Umma is a genus of damselflies belonging to the family Calopterygidae.
Diplacodes pumila, the dwarf percher, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are grassy margins of wetlands in moist savanna and grassland.
Acisoma variegatum, the slender pintail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Umma gumma is a species of damselfly in the family Calopterygidae. The genus name was established in 1890 and this species described in 2015 from Africa was found to belong to the genus. The species was named after the Pink Floyd album Ummagumma.
Acisoma inflatum, the stout pintail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
