List of Odonata species of Ireland explained

The following is a list of Odonata species recorded in Ireland. Common names are those given in the standard literature; where a different name has been given in The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies, this is given in brackets.^[1] Most of these species are resident, others are vagrants and some have not been recorded since the nineteenth century.^[2]

Suborder Zygoptera (damselflies)

Family Calopterygidae (demoiselles)

• Banded demoiselle (banded jewelwing) Calopteryx splendens
• Beautiful demoiselle Calopteryx virgo

Family Lestidae (emerald damselflies)

• Scarce emerald damselfly (turlough spreadwing) Lestes dryas
• Emerald damselfly (common spreadwing) Lestes sponsa

Family Coenagrionidae (blue, blue-tailed, and red damselflies)

• Irish damselfly (Irish bluet) Coenagrion lunulatum. The common name comes from the fact that it is found in Ireland but not in Britain.
• Azure damselfly (azure bluet) Coenagrion puella
• Variable damselfly (variable bluet) Coenagrion pulchellum
• Common blue damselfly (common bluet) Enallagma cyathigerum
• Blue-tailed damselfly (common bluetip) Ischnura elegans
• Scarce blue-tailed damselfly (small bluetip) Ischnura pumilio
• Large red damselfly (spring redtail) Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Suborder Anisoptera (dragonflies)

Family Gomphidae (club-tailed dragonflies)

• Common clubtail (club-tailed dragonfly) Gomphus vulgatissimus. No modern records.

Family Aeshnidae (hawkers and emperors)

• Southern hawker Aeshna cyanea. Vagrant.
• Brown hawker (amber-winged hawker) Aeshna grandis
• Common hawker (moorland hawker) Aeshna juncea
• Migrant hawker (autumn hawker) Aeshna mixta. Recent colonist.
• Emperor (blue emperor) Anax imperator. Recent colonist.
• Lesser emperor (yellow-ringed emperor) Anax parthenope. Vagrant.
• Hairy dragonfly (spring hawker) Aeshna grandis
• Vagrant emperor Hemianax ephippiger. Vagrant.

Family Corduliidae (emerald dragonflies)

• Downy emerald Cordulia aenea
• Northern emerald (moorland emerald) Somatochlora arctica

Family Libellulidae (chasers, skimmers, and darters)

• Broad-bodied chaser Libellula depressa. No modern records.
• Scarce chaser Libellula fulva. No modern records.
• Four-spotted chaser Libellula quadrimaculata
• Black-tailed skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
• Keeled skimmer (heathland skimmer) Orthetrum coerulescens
• Black darter Sympetrum danae
• Yellow-winged darter Sympetrum flaveolum. Vagrant.
• Red-veined darter Sympetrum fonscolombii. Status unknown.
• Ruddy darter Sympetrum sanguineum
• Common darter Sympetrum striolatum

Discounted records

The following species have been included in previous lists of Irish dragonflies, but are no longer regarded as having been reliably recorded:

• Willow emerald damselfly
• Small red damselfly
• Red-eyed damselfly
• Golden-ringed dragonfly

See also

• List of Odonata species of Great Britain
• Lt-Col. F. C. Fraser, 1956 Handbooks For The Identification of British Insects: Vol 1 Part 10. Odonata. Royal Entomological Society. online as pdf

External links

• Dragonfly Ireland

Notes and References

1. Book: The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies. 2004. Ulster Museum. 978-0-900761-45-4. Brian Nelson, Robert Thompson.
2. Web site: Species list for Odonata . www.habitas.org.uk . 18 March 2021.