Family Corduliidae Selys, 1850
emeralds

Introduction

In its restricted sense, Corduliidae includes less than 150 species placed mostly in Eurasian and North American genera, a few tropical American groups and the predominantly Australasian genus Hemicordulia, of which a single species reaches Africa. [Adapted from Dijkstra & Clausnitzer 2014]

Diagnosis

The only genus represented in Africa is Hemicordulia, which see for its identification.


Hemicordulia africana Dijkstra, 2007. Female © Warwick Tarboton

Map citation: Clausnitzer, V., K.-D.B. Dijkstra, R. Koch, J.-P. Boudot, W.R.T. Darwall, J. Kipping, B. Samraoui, M.J. Samways, J.P. Simaika & F. Suhling, 2012. Focus on African Freshwaters: hotspots of dragonfly diversity and conservation concern. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 129-134.


Reference

  • Pinhey, E.C.G. (1961). Dragonflies (Odonata) of Central Africa. Occasional Papers Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, 14, 1-97. [PDF file]

Citation: Dijkstra, K.-D.B (editor). African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online. http://addo.adu.org.za/ [2024-03-28].