The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Dragonflies

Libellula needhami

As a child do you remember how certain things seemed to be bigger than they really were? Well I do, my room, crabs, chocolate bars they all look massive to me as a child! Well one thing I will always remember is when I saw my first ever Dragonfly, it..was…MASSIVE! But unlike the rest of the things I poorly remember the other day I saw a dragonfly once again besides a pond and it was just as big as I remembered them! So it inspired me to find out a little more about these amazing creatures as I bring you…

The World’s Top 10 Most Amazing Dragonflies 

Trithemis aurora

10 – Magenta Dragonfly (source)

treknature.com: 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 (as Silsby does), there still remains a family of over 1000 species. With nearly worldwide distribution, these are almost certainly the most often seen of all dragonflies.

Calopteryx virgo

9 – The Beautiful Demoiselle (source)

Wiki Info:As with the banded demoiselle is also in the blue wing-demoiselle a pronounced territorial behavior of sexually mature males. These days occupy territories that they defend against other males. The defense consists mostly in threatening gestures. For this they spread their wings and put them on display so clearly visible, there is also Drohflügen and in rare cases to air combat between rival males.

Nannophya pygmaea

8 – Scarlet Dwarf (source)

Wiki Info: annophya pygmaea, known variously as the Scarlet Dwarf, Northern Pygmyfly, or Tiny Dragonfly, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, native from Southeast Asia to China and Japan, occasionally found south to Australia. This species has the distinction of being the smallest of the dragonflies, with a wingspan of only 20 mm (3/4 in).

Cordulegaster boltonii

7 – Golden-ringed Dragonfly (source)

Wiki Info: They are easily identified by their distinctive black and yellow stripes, which no other dragonfly in the United Kingdom has. They are often seen flying leisurely over mountain streams or a river; they also occasional show up at a pond. They are also typically seen flying over heath land. Their bright yellow and black stripes make them easy to identify, even from a fair distance away.

Calopteryx maculata

6 – Ebony Jewelwing (source)

Wiki Info: They are often seen living near wooded streams and rivers. Ebony Jewelwings flutter like a butterfly and when disturbed they fly a short distance to safety. These damselflies are easy to get close to as long as you approach slowly and don’t make any sudden movements. They will often stop to rest on leaves or twigs.

Libellula pulchella

5 – Twelve-spotted Skimmer (source)

Wiki Info: It is a large species, at 50 mm (2.0 in) long. Each wing has three brown spots. In adult males, additional white spots form between the brown ones and at the bases of the hindwings; it is sometimes called the Ten-spot Skimmer for the number of these white spots.

Libellula needhami

4 – Golden-winged Skimmer (source)

giffbeaton.com: This is not Needham’s Skimmer that is extremely similar (only found near coast). The best way to separate from Needham’s is to note pattern on side of thorax (see images at left, males in left-hand column and females in right): In Golden-winged the line between the dark (upper and more forward) colour follows the humeral suture (the break in pieces of side of thorax). In females and young males this is easy, but can be tough in older males (see lower left). In Needham’s this line does not follow the suture and goes forward about halfway down.

Pseudagrion microcephalum

3 – Blue Riverdamsel (source)

Wiki Info: The Blue Riverdamsel is a common species damselflies in the Coenagrionidae family. It is also known as the Blue Sprite. They grow to 38mm in length. This species can easily be found near running water or still water.

Acisoma panorpoides

2 – Grizzled Pintail (source)

Wiki Info: Acisoma panorpoides, the Grizzled Pintail, is a species of dragonfly in family Libellulidae. It is found in various places throughout the world. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, rivers, intermittent rivers, shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, and freshwater spring.

Rhyothemis triangularis

1 – Sapphire Flutterer, Lesser Blue-wing (source)

Wiki Info: Rhyothemis triangularis, the Sapphire Flutterer, is one of the smallest species of Rhyothemis. This blue dragonfly is found on ponds, lakes and other lotic habitats. It differs from Rhyothemis resplendens, another blue species on the more extensive blue marking on the wings of the later species.