List of Odonata species of Great Britain
Species Scientific Name Range Countries
Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Eng/Wales
Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva Eng
Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata Eng/Scot/Wales
Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum Eng/Wales
Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens Eng/Scot/Wales
Scarlet Dragonfly Crocothemis erythraea
Black Darter Sympetrum danae Eng/Scot/Wales
Yellow-winged Darter Sympetrum flaveolum
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombei Eng
Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Eng/Wales
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Eng/Scot/Wales
Highland Darter Sympetrum striolatum nigrescens Scot
Vagrant Darter Sympetrum vulgatum
Banded Darter Sympetrum pedemontanum
White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia dubia Eng/Scot/Wales
Large White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia pectoralis
Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens
The list -- Suborder Anisoptera ( Dragonflies )
Broad-bodied Chaser Four-spotted Chaser Black-tailed Skimmer Common Darter
There are 57 recorded species of Odonata in Britain, made up of 21 damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) and 36 dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera). Of these, 42 species (17 damselflies and 25 dragonflies) are resident breeders, and the remainder are either extinct species, or vagrants - in respect of the latter, this list follows the decisions of the Odonata Records Committee. Some of these rare species have not been seen since the 19th Century; however, the British Odonata list is also currently undergoing a period of unprecedented change, as new species are being discovered for the first time, some going on to become breeding species. This list is based on the following principal references:
A number of other references were used to provide information on specific topics, including rare vagrants, post-1990 additions, predictions, species claimed but not accepted / species of uncertain provenance, non-natives, taxonomic matters and species found only in the Channel Islands. Ireland's Odonata fauna is quite different from that of Britain, with many fewer breeding species, but one additional species not found in Britain, Irish Damselfly Coenagrion lunulatum - see List of Odonata species of Ireland for more information.