A Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of South Africa

A lavishly illustrated field guide to all of South Africa's dragonfly and damselfly species.

Delicate, colourful, jewel-like and predatory, dragonflies and damselflies are intriguing insects that belong to a group called the Odonata. All 164 species known to occur in South Africa are described and illustrated here, grouped according to family (12 in total, six dragonfly and six damselfly families). Presented in classic field-guide format, the book offers images of each species - in this instance, scans made from living insects - opposite a detailed description, distribution map and photographs of specimens in their natural environment. An introduction covers the Odonata life cycle, biology and behaviour, and there are pointers on how to ID these fascinating insects.
With the use of this detailed, comprehensive guide and a pair of binoculars, anyone should be well equipped to identify the colourful and capricious dragonflies and damselflies of the region.